Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) have introduced legislation to eliminate food deserts and expand access to affordable and nutritious food by incentivizing food providers to expand access to healthy food options in underserved communities. The Healthy Food Access for All Americans (HFAAA) Act was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Emilia Sykes (Ohio-13) and Jennifer McLellan (Va.-04).
“Many West Virginians struggle to access fresh, nutritious food to keep their families and communities well fed. I’m proud to reintroduce the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act, which will expand access to healthy foods through food banks and local grocery stores in rural communities across West Virginia and the nation,” Senator Capito said.
According to recent data, an estimated 18.8 million Americans live in what the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies as a “food desert.” Urban areas designated as food deserts lack a grocery store within one or more miles. Rural areas designated as food deserts lack a grocery store within ten or more miles. Studies have shown that Americans who live in communities with low-access to healthy food options are at higher risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Specifically, the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act – which defines a grocery market as a retail sales store with at least 35% of its selection (or forecasted selection) dedicated to selling fresh produce, poultry, dairy, and deli items – would encourage investment in food deserts across the country that have a poverty rate of 20% or higher, or a median family income of less than 80% of the median for the state or metro area.
It would grant tax credits or grants to food providers who service low-access communities and attain a “Special Access Food Provider” (SAFP) certification through the Treasury Department. Incentives would be awarded based on the following structure:
New Store Construction – Companies that construct new grocery stores in a food desert will receive a one-time 15% tax credit after receiving certification.
Retrofitting Existing Structures – Companies that make retrofits to an existing store’s healthy food sections can receive a one-time 10% tax credit after the repairs certify the store as an SAFP.
Food Banks – Certified food banks that build new (permanent) structures in food deserts will be eligible to receive a one-time grant for 15% of their construction costs.
Temporary Access Merchants – Certified temporary access merchants (i.e. mobile markets, farmers markets, and some food banks) that are 501(c)(3)s will receive grants for 10% of their annual operating costs.
The Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act boasts the support of numerous organizations, including: Feeding America, the National Grocers Association, and Share Our Strength.
Bill text for the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act can be found here.
PUEBLO – Today, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and Southern Colorado Economic Development District (SCEDD) hosted a Regional Talent Summit at the Pueblo Convention Center to convene industry and community leaders, discuss much needed career pathway solutions and begin developing tactical workforce plans to ensure that Colorado workers develop the skills employers need.
“As Colorado’s economy grows, we’re making sure local workforces are ready to support the industries driving Colorado’s future. These important regional conversations are helping to ensure Coloradans are equipped to thrive in good-paying jobs and businesses have the skills needed to succeed in our state,” said Gov. Polis.
Today’s summit focused on the advanced manufacturing, construction, and technology industries in Baca, Bent, Chaffee, Crowley, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Lake, Las Animas, Otero, Prowers and Pueblo counties. The roundtable discussions and industry breakout sessions will inform the creation of tactical plans to develop industry-specific career pathways that connect Coloradans to good-paying jobs, meet the needs of the region’s employers and support broadband expansion within the region.
“As a state, we are doubling down on workforce development to connect Coloradans to good-paying jobs while supporting regional economic development goals. Today’s Regional Talent Summit will result in a tactical action plan developed by community and business leaders from Pueblo and across Southern Colorado to meet the region’s unique goals and needs,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director.
“Economic development is a team sport. It takes everybody—public, private, and nonprofit sectors—working together to create opportunities for businesses, workers, and residents. A common refrain I’ve heard from all sectors is the need for a trained and dependable workforce throughout our region,” said Leslie Mastroianni, SCEDD Executive Director. “This need became apparent through the development of the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and more recently since SCEDD was awarded over $28 million in broadband funds. Today’s conversations will contribute to local workforce solutions and provide valuable input as we work on a grant application to provide training and job placement for unemployed and underemployed people in our region.”
Today’s event was the third of seven Regional Talent Summits taking place across the state. Established by HB24-1365, these summits build on the impact of the Opportunity Now grant program which has, to date, distributed nearly $90 million to 89 grant recipients to launch and expand innovative talent development programs across the state. Within the 13-county region represented at today’s Regional Talent Summit, notable grant recipients include:
Colorado State University-Pueblo (CSU-Pueblo) – $1.4 million to collaborate with Southern Colorado Partners Leading Advancement in Nursing Track (PLANT) to train nurses to work in local communities. Serving 15 counties in Southern Colorado, CSU-Pueblo’s goal is to reduce the infant mortality rate and improve the quality of care for Coloradans over the age of 65 who are most in-need of services.
Emergent Campus – Trinidad – $3.5 million to broaden economic opportunities in tech, with a special focus on rural Colorado. This funding is expected to support the growth of more than 155 tech jobs and over 50 paid internships in Fremont County, with an anticipated annual economic impact of more than $25 million. In collaboration with Trinidad State College, these on-the-job and work-based learning opportunities are intended to support business relocation and expansion.
Servicios de la Raza – Pueblo – $900,000 to work with education and industry partners to address talent shortages in transportation, infrastructure, warehousing, construction and skilled trades. Focusing on credentialing and skill development, Servicios de la Raza offers training and ongoing wraparound support to place hundreds of Coloradans into jobs.
Grant recipients from CSU-Pueblo, Emergent Campus, Servicios de la Raza and Skill Distillery participated in today’s summit.
“The Regional Talent Summit held today is an important milestone for workforce development in Pueblo and southern Colorado. We have an opportunity to help working Coloradans develop and maintain skill sets that are in demand through the entire duration of their careers, and I look forward to working alongside regional partners to implement the resulting action plan,” said Senate Majority Whip, Nick Hinrichsen.
“Pueblo and southern Colorado are home to hardworking families ready to take on new jobs, contribute to a strong economy and maintain our tightknit communities. Today’s summit is just one way state and local leaders are working together to ensure more Coloradans in our region develop the skills to access today’s and tomorrow’s new jobs,” said Sen. Rod Pelton.
“Access to quality education in southern Colorado is a necessity to ensure our residents have the skills they need for good paying jobs. When both business and community leaders collaborate to ensure our region has the education opportunities for individuals to support their families, this is what continues to make headway for work force development in House District 47,” said House Assistant Minority Leader, Ty Winter.
“Today’s regional workforce summit and the resulting action plan will help ensure that hardworking Coloradans in Pueblo and the region have the skills to access good-paying jobs in advanced manufacturing, construction, and technology, while improving broadband. That’s a win for our regional economy and our communities,” said Rep. Tisha Mauro
Four more summits will take place across the state between now and June 2025, and each region’s tactical workforce plans will be published in the 2025 Colorado Talent Pipeline report, with annual progress reports being published through 2030. The next summits will take place May 12 in Grand Junction, focusing on construction, early childhood education and healthcare; and May 16 in Durango, with a focus on construction, early childhood education and healthcare.
About the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.
n response to the ongoing flooding in Harney County, Governor Kotek has declared a State of Emergency and directed the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to activate the State’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) to coordinate response efforts across state agencies.
Since March 14, 2025, Harney County and surrounding areas have experienced historic levels of rainfall and snowmelt, overwhelming rivers, streams, and wastewater systems. Floodwaters have inundated roadways, damaged critical infrastructure, and introduced environmental and public health risks, including contamination of waterways and disruption to essential services.
Governor’s Emergency Declaration(ORS 401.165) enables rapid mobilization of state resources to support Harney County’s local efforts.
State Agency Actions Include:
Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is working closely with local, tribal, and federal partners to support life safety, protect critical infrastructure, and address emerging needs. Regional coordinators and liaisons have been deployed to assist on the ground, and OEM is actively managing resource requests to ensure communities have the support they need. OEM has also established a Joint Information System and is actively coordinating public information efforts to support the public receives accurate, timely, and consistent updates throughout the emergency.
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has deployed emergency preparedness and tribal coordinators to support local and tribal partners with critical resources, information, and guidance. Medical volunteers from SERV-OR are assisting at medical shelters, with one deployed and at least 10 more available this week. OHA is also addressing drinking water concerns, immunization needs—such as tetanus prevention—and identifying individuals with medical conditions who may need extra support. Remote public health communication support is also being provided.
The Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (ODHS OREM) has delivered essential supplies, including water, hygiene kits, portable toilets, and handwashing stations, to the Burns Paiute Tribe, the American Red Cross shelter in Harney County, and other affected areas. Two shower trailers are in place, with a third on the way. Nine ODHS OREM staff are on-site working with local teams. ODHS OREM recovery coordinators are helping survivors assess their needs and connect with services as they begin to recover.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) DEQ staff has been in contact with the City Public Works team, providing technical support remotely. The operations staff has kept the sewer ponds intact, which are not in the immediate flood zone at this time. DEQ onsite program staff provided an EPA fact sheet to the county as well as an onsite disaster planning and response handbook.
Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) ODA has been actively supporting our partners at the Oregon Office of Emergency Management in response to the floods in Harney County. We’ve provided resources on federal programs that may assist impacted farmers and ranchers and shared guidance on animal care during flood conditions. Our focus remains on ensuring the agricultural community has the information and support needed to navigate this challenging time.
Oregon State Fire Marshall’s Office has deployed 25 personnel to support local response to sandbagging efforts to reinforce the levee. They are joined by Colton Fire, Merrill Fire, Klamath County Fire District 1, and Chiloquin Fire and Rescue Departments.
It’s been incredibly inspiring to witness the swift coordination of federal, state, local, and Tribal resources coming together to support communities in need,” said Stephen Richardson, Emergency Coordination Center Manager. “A powerful example of that collaboration was the rapid repair of a compromised dike—an urgent fix that helped prevent further impacts and protect lives and property.”
This coordinated effort reflects Oregon’s commitment to whole-of-government response under the CEMP. The State will continue to assess needs and respond dynamically as conditions evolve.
Looking Ahead
While Harney County is currently the most severely affected, state agencies remain vigilant in monitoring flood conditions statewide and are prepared to support other communities if necessary.
For the latest updates visit OEM’s newsroom page at Home – Newsroom or follow @OregonOEM on social media. Visit our flood dashboard here: State of Oregon Flood Dashboard.
Source: US Congressman Gabe Amo (Rhode Island 1st District)
The unilateral decision to bypass public notice and comment shreds transparency and accountability at Health and Human Services Department
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), and Mike Quigley (IL-05) led a letter signed by 20 colleagues to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing alarm at the decision to authorize agencies to bypass the public notice and comment period on “matters relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits or contracts.”
“A significant departure from more than 50 years of precedent, foregoing notice and comment on rulemaking and other relevant HHS actions would eviscerate transparency and squander opportunities for patients, health care providers, and the public to voice concerns about policies that directly affect their lives and livelihoods,” said the lawmakers. “Republican and Democratic administrations alike have long modified proposed rules in response to issues and concerns exposed through public comment, often clarifying a rule’s intended meaning and correcting unforeseen errors.”
“Adopted in 1971, the Richardson Waiver ensured that public notice and comment procedures for HHS would include rules related to public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts,” continued the lawmakers. “Rescinding the Richardson Waiver contradicts your stated commitment to “radical transparency.” It is a declaration that unilateral decision-making by the executive branch is the best approach to meeting the needs of Americans who rely on the actions of HHS agencies for their health.”
In addition to Representatives Amo, Fletcher, and Quigley, the letter was signed by Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), LaMonica Mclver (NJ-10), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Donald S. Beyer (VA-08), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04).
Read the full letterHERE
BACKGROUND
On February 28, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rescinded the ‘Richardson Waiver’, a memo that previously committed the Department to follow notice-and-comment rulemaking procedures under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) for certain rules and to use the APA’s good-cause exception “sparingly”. This change could have far-reaching effects, given HHS’s responsibility for overseeing critical public benefit programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.
READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER
Dear Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,
We write to express our alarm regarding your decision to authorize agencies to bypass public notice and comment on “matters relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts” at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A significant departure from more than 50 years of precedent, foregoing notice and comment on rulemaking and other relevant HHS actions would eviscerate transparency and squander opportunities for patients, health care providers, and the public to voice concerns about policies that directly affect their lives and livelihoods. As lawmakers, we are also concerned that this decision deviates from the standard operating protocol under which we and our predecessors have written laws for HHS for the last five decades.
Public comment has long exposed—and allowed HHS to address—potential problems with even the most well-intentioned proposals. Comments received through the public notice and comment process improve the quality, accuracy, and effectiveness of agency policies by incorporating real-world insights from people that will be affected by the policy—and, in many cases, from the people and organizations that will be expected to implement the policy correctly. Republican and Democratic administrations alike have long modified proposed rules in response to issues and concerns exposed through public comment, often clarifying a rule’s intended meaning and correcting unforeseen errors.
Adopted in 1971, the Richardson Waiver ensured that public notice and comment procedures for HHS would include rules related to public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts. The 1971 directive built on legal requirements laid out by the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 (APA) to allow the public greater input in agency matters. For over 50 years, the Richardson waiver has ensured transparency, public participation, and accountability in the rulemaking process at HHS— across Republican and Democratic administrations alike. The Richardson Waiver has ensured that HHS policies are shaped by the experiences of those they impact the most—including patients and providers—and acted as a safeguard against policies that may overlook or unintentionally harm those communities.
Rescinding the Richardson Waiver contradicts your stated commitment to “radical transparency.” It is a declaration that unilateral decision-making by the executive branch is the best approach to meeting the needs of Americans who rely on the actions of HHS agencies for their health. The recission of the Richardson Waiver has the potential to reduce transparency and accountability in the HHS decision-making process and create uncertainty for health care providers, research institutions, and advocacy groups in grantmaking processes. Without the opportunity to publicly comment on HHS decisions, there would be greater uncertainty regarding the intended interpretation of regulations governing contracts and grants.
Indeed, HHS’ recission of the Richardson Waiver has created uncertainty regarding when public notice and comment requirements apply, when HHS will adhere to long-standing public notice and comment processes, and what HHS will consider to be a “good cause” exception to statutory public notice and comment requirements in the future.4 In light of this, we seek clarification on the following questions.
What specific concerns with the long-standing public notice and comment processes led to the decision to rescind the Richardson waiver? What benefits did HHS anticipate in reducing its obligations to receive public input on policies that impact HHS notice and comment rulemaking procedures?
How does HHS anticipate modifying processes for rulemaking, grantmaking, and other agency activity that otherwise would have been subject to the Richardson Waiver? What agency actions does HHS intend for the rescission of the Richardson Waiver to apply to and which (if any) agency actions does HHS not intend for it to apply to? For example, will HHS commit to utilize longstanding notice-and-comment rulemaking for purposes of promulgating rulemaking with respect to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)?
Does HHS plan to implement any measures to prevent unintended consequences stemming from reduced opportunities for public notice and comment?
What steps does HHS plan to take to ensure there is public notice and comment on HHS agency rulemaking and other actions that were otherwise subject to the Richardson Waiver?
Please respond to these questions by April 16, 2025. We also strongly urge you to reverse the decision to rescind the Richardson Waiver to ensure that public engagement in health care rulemaking remains a standard in the United States.
A federal jury convicted a Louisiana chiropractor yesterday for his role in health care fraud and unemployment insurance fraud schemes totaling millions of dollars.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Benjamin Tekippe, 40, of New Orleans, was a chiropractor and owner of Metairie Chiropractic & Rehab in New Orleans. Tekippe solicited patients with insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) at schools, public events, and on social media to receive chiropractic massages, which he misleadingly advertised as “free.” Tekippe would then routinely bill BCBSLA for chiropractic services he did not perform. In total, Tekippe fraudulently submitted over $2.3 million in claims to BCBSLA for services not performed and was reimbursed approximately $740,000 by the insurance provider. The fraudulent claims sought payment for thousands of chiropractic services purportedly provided by Tekippe during periods when he was out of the office, traveling on vacation, or incarcerated for past arrests. The evidence also showed that in response to a medical records request from a BCBSLA auditor, Tekippe fabricated patient records and instructed his staff to write them in their own handwriting to make it falsely appear that the services had been performed as billed. Evidence at trial showed that Tekippe spent the fraud proceeds on, among other things, luxury goods and gambling.
In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tekippe submitted weekly certifications falsely claiming that he was unemployed when he was billing for chiropractic services purportedly performed during his claimed unemployment. Through this scheme, Tekippe received $12,952 in unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.
Tekippe was convicted of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count and 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region, Baton Rouge Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
WASHINGTON – William Woodson, 26, of Southeast Washington, D.C. was indicted today by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on three felony counts. Specifically, he is charged with one count of first degree child cruelty and one count of assault with significant bodily injury against a minor for his assault on a two-year-old victim, along with another felony charge from conduct directed at a separate adult the same day. The charges are in connection with an allegation that the defendant kicked a stranger’s two-year-old child down the escalator at the Mount Vernon Square metro station. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Woodson is detained while the case remains pending.
According to the government’s evidence, presented in police affidavits, on July 24, 2023 around 11:20 a.m., the victim’s mother was walking down the escalator at the Mount Vernon Square metro station when the defendant came up behind them. He then (without any prior interaction or provocation) kicked the two-year-old child, causing him to fall down the escalator, hitting his head and face. Woodson exited the station and the victim’s mother followed him while carrying the now-injured child victim. The victim’s mother followed the defendant out of the metro station and called 911, providing law enforcement with information about the defendant.
Responding MPD officers met the mother who gave them a lookout and, subsequently, officers stopped Woodson a short distance away. Medics arrived on scene and, noting that the two-year-old victim was bleeding from the head, advised the victim’s mother that he required transport to Children’s Hospital immediately. During transport, the victim lost consciousness. The victim remained hospitalized for approximately twelve hours and was diagnosed with a mild concussion before being sent home with his mother.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ballou of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa — The United States Attorney from the Northern District of Iowa will commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) from April 6 through 12, 2025.
This year’s NCVRW theme—Connecting Healing—recognizes that shared humanity drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins.
This annual observance challenges us to build a world where every connection built through KINSHIP — between survivors, advocates, and communities — holds the potential to heal. It asks us to ensure that resources are available to all survivors and that we show up for one another with empathy and intention.
NCVRW 2025 will be commemorated in Iowa with many events across the state, including the following:
Friday April 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: The 2025 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Commemoration, Polk County River Place, 2309 Euclid Ave., Des Moines, Iowa
Saturday April 5 at 9:00 a.m.: Go the Distance for Crime Victims 5K Run/Walk at Thomas Park in Marion, Iowa
Tuesday April 8 at 1:00 p.m and Thursday April 10 at 11:15 a.m.: From War to Wellness: A Journey of Resilience and Transformation on the Ankeny and Urban campuses of the Des Moines Area Community College.
In the Northern District of Iowa, United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax announced winners for the following awards based on their service to victims in Iowa:
The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is presented to Investigator Tracy Johnson from the Cedar Rapids Police Department. This award is presented to law enforcement officers in Iowa who go beyond the call of duty to help crime victims. It is the highest federal honor in Iowa for victim services by a law enforcement officer. Investigator Johnson is recognized for her excellent work investigating human trafficking and her work with a minor victim of trafficking.
The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is also presented to Detective Chris Thomas of the Sioux City Police Department. Detective Thomas was nominated for his outstanding investigative and advocacy work that led to the successful prosecution of Bobby Ray Rhoden.
Investigator Johnson was the lead investigator in a human trafficking case involving a minor victim, two individuals who were eventually charged and convicted, and numerous other men who paid to participate in abusing the victim. Investigator Johnson took a victim-centered approach to the investigation, developing a rapport with the minor victim and utilizing a trauma-informed interview style that gave the minor victim confidence that she was safe with Investigator Johnson. Investigator Johnson’s outstanding and compassionate work with the victim was crucial to the case. One of the charged defendants, Jarod Anderson, went to trial. The victim testified during the trial and was able to tell the jury what had been done to her. Investigator Johnson’s hard work during the investigation and prior to trial helped prepare the victim to face the difficult task of testifying in open court. As a result of the victim’s brave testimony and Investigator Johnson’s outstanding work, Anderson was found guilty and is awaiting sentencing. The second charged defendant, Tana Torres, pled guilty and was sentenced to up to eight years in prison.
Rhoden victimized multiple individuals, including a former girlfriend. Roden initially manipulated his victim into believing that she was responsible for the abuse he inflicted upon her, including torturing her, threatening her with a gun, and recording his abuse. The victim eventually broke free, but Rhoden kidnapped her. He used threats to get his victim into his car to help him recover a phone she had taken. Over the next 36 hours, he brutalized her and drove her to at least two locations in an effort to find his phone. The victim escaped Rhoden by running away from him to a neighbor’s house. As she ran, Rhoden fired his gun at or near her. A subsequent investigation of the kidnapping revealed live ammunition and a spent casing in the garage where Rhoden lived, and one of the locations where he held his victim.
Detective Thomas demonstrated outstanding investigatory skills and compassion for the victim while he was investigating the kidnapping. The victim was initially reluctant to trust or cooperate with law enforcement. But Detective Thomas persisted in working with the victim until the victim came to trust him and the criminal justice system. Thanks to Detective Thomas’s patience, the victim agreed to and was able to testify in very difficult circumstances during Rhoden’s trial. Without her strength in doing so, Rhoden may have remained free to victimize others. Detective Thomas’s compassion and care for the victim led directly to the victim having the strength to free herself from Rhoden’s hold and protect others from him by testifying. As a result, Rhoden was found guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2025.
“These awards recognize the exceptional efforts of two law enforcement officers to provide assistance to federal and state victims in the Northern District of Iowa,” said United States Attorney Duax. “Ensuring victims feel safe while going through the difficult process of an investigation and trial is crucial to securing justice for the victims. The service of these officers, and other state and federal law enforcement officers and victim advocates, is a vital component of our criminal justice system.”
NCVRW began in 1981 to honor victims and survivors of crime, raise awareness of victims’ rights and services and recognize the dedication of those who work with crime victims.
For additional information about this year’s NCVRW activities and more ideas on supporting crime victims, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.
Lorna Awo Renner (left) is seen discussing paediatric care as part of the imPACT Review team at work at Primary Health Care Centre Primerio Maio.
“The rising numbers of cancer cases in Mozambique is of great concern,” said Mozambique’s Minister of Health, Armino Tiago, speaking of his decision to invite the IAEA, World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, to carry out an imPACT review in the country in 2024. “The government is taking action to expand access to diagnosis and treatment,” he added.
Mozambique, in common with many low- income countries (LICs) around the world, is facing a growing cancer challenge. Cancer is now the second leading cause of death globally, and many health systems in LICs are least prepared to manage this burden.
How do ImPACT Reviews Help Countries with Cancer Control?
Each year, the IAEA, together with its partners the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), conducts around ten ImPACT Reviews, designed to support countries in their efforts to improve comprehensive cancer control.
ImPACT Reviews assess a country’s cancer control capacities and needs in order to prioritize interventions and help governments effectively respond to their country’s cancer burden. This response could involve creating a national cancer control plan, producing feasibility documents – often called ‘bankable documents’- that justify the funding of cancer care facilities to donors, or deciding to join WHO cancer initiatives, such as those on cervical, breast and childhood cancer.
“Controlling cancer in Mozambique is a significant challenge, compounded by limitations in infrastructure, human resources, and access to adequate diagnostics and treatments,” said Tiago, Mozambique’s Minister of Health.
“The imPACT Review represents a valuable opportunity to identify critical gaps and outline concrete strategies to strengthen our capacity to address cancer. We are confident that this collaboration will provide essential guidance to improve cancer care in our country,” the Minister of Health added.
What Goes On Behind the Scenes of an ImPACT Review?
Experts participating in the Mozambique mission came from countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America, bringing expertise from fields ranging from palliative care, pathology and public health to oncology and epidemiology. Many were also native speakers of Portuguese, which is widely spoken in Mozambique.
As in other imPACT Reviews, the Mozambique mission experts were nominated by the IAEA, IARC and WHO. IARC recommended experts in cancer registry, an information system that collects, manages and analyses data on people diagnosed with cancer. The IAEA nominated experts in radiation medicine, diagnostic imaging and radiation safety and the WHO nominated experts on all other aspects of cancer control.
The experts met online several times in the run-up to the mission to discuss their findings.
Three months before setting foot in Mozambique, the imPACT Review international experts started meeting online to assess the needs of the country. The experts researched the latest available evidence on public health policies and cancer control, provided by IARC, WHO and IAEA, including experts from the IAEA human health programme. They also gathered reports and data from UN staff, professionals from Mozambique’s Ministry of Health and other national cancer stakeholders to gain a good understanding of the country’s cancer-related infrastructure and capacity. Professionals and stakeholders in cancer control in Mozambique completed questionnaires to help the imPACT Review experts identify needs, challenges and opportunities. A preliminary report was produced ahead of the in-country mission to determine its scope.
Arsen Juric, Mozambique imPACT Review Coordinator said: “These preparatory meetings are part of a strategic process. They help the experts make evidence-based recommendations that aim to strengthen and embed cancer control in Mozambique’s national health system, better serving patient needs across the country.”
The imPACT review is designed to give a broad overview of cancer care in the host country, determining the gaps and needs which are most urgent, to inform decision makers when formulating health policy regarding cancer.
What is Cancer Control?
Prevention includes factors such as diet, smoking cessation and vaccinations against infectious disease. It is estimated it is currently possible to prevent 40 per cent of all cancers.
Detection includes screening and early diagnosis. Early detection means many cancers have a high potential for cure.
Treatment aims to cure disease, prolong life, and improve the quality of remaining life
Palliative care involves addressing the needs of patients and their families from the time of cancer diagnosis to improve quality of life and the ability to cope effectively.
On the Ground in Mozambique
At the beginning of May, the imPACT Review team experts arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to visit hospitals and public health centres. They met cancer care experts, policy and decision makers and technical staff from Mozambique’s Ministry of Health, and the staff of the WHO country office, as well as representatives of civil society organizations
In addition to experts from IARC and WHO, the mission also included an expert from MD Anderson Cancer Center, an IAEA nuclear safety expert, an IAEA cancer control expert and the IAEA’s National Liaison Officer for Mozambique.
ImPACT reviews look at every aspect of cancer control, including how data on cancer is managed, and financing, as well as prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. During the review, the experts visited hospitals, primary health care facilities, and met with civil society, patient and cancer advocacy groups in Mozambique to obtain as much data as possible on the cancer control situation in the country.
The imPACT Review team visited Primeiro Maio to find out more about the country’s national cervical cancer screening programme
Prioritizing Women and Children’s Cancers
While imPACT Reviews look at all aspects of cancer control, the Mozambique review gave the team to focus on WHO cancer initiatives, such as those on cervical, breast and childhood cancer.
Severin von Xylander from Mozambique’s WHO Country Office said the WHO was also working with the National Cancer Control Programme in Mozambique to prioritize the prevention and early detection of cancers affecting women and children, in line with global cancer control initiatives.
At the Primeiro Maio healthcare centre, the imPACT Review team learned more about the scope of services in primary care, such as prevention and early detection, particularly in terms of cancers that affect women and children.
Speaking of positive outcomes, Celina Mate, of the Mozambique Ministry of Health, said that interactions with the imPACT review team during the in-country mission had helped realize that their cervical cancer screening coverage was more comprehensive than they had previously thought.
“In addition to this aspect, we were able to look at our needs and the need to advocate for financial support to increase screening capacity using a high-standard test such as the HPV DNA test,” said Mate.
Paintings by children at Maputo Central Hospital.
Lorna Awo Renner, an international expert in paediatric oncology from Ghana taking part in the imPACT Review, used her time in Mozambique to observe and make recommendations on how the country is addressing childhood cancer.
“Over 80 per cent of childhood cancers are curable, but at a global level we are at about 30 per cent, you take the low- and middle- income countries, they have even lower rates,” she says.
The WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancers, aims to improve long term cure outcomes for childhood cancer globally to over 60 per cent by 2030. Renner said she hoped Mozambique would also join the initiative.
At the end of the mission, a report was produced for the Mozambican government, which will support the next national cancer plan to address the growing cancer situation in the country.
The IAEA’s Support to Mozambique
The imPACT Review team are shown imaging equipment by Narciso Sitoe,a radiation oncologist trained under the IAEA technical cooperation programme.
The IAEA has supported Mozambique in providing cancer care at Maputo Central Hospital for over a decade. A Brazilian team of consultants carried out the training and implementation of radiotherapy at Maputo Central Hospital with the support of the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme. Since 2009,14 specialists at Maputo Central Hospital have been trained in radiation oncology and medical physics through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme, with the aim of strengthening radiotherapy services.
Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All
While around half of all cancer patients can benefit from some form of radiotherapy, countries such as Mozambique have only limited access to this technology. As just one radiotherapy unit in the capital city of Maputo is available for a population of over 30 million people, many cancer patients in Mozambique are unable to access this life-saving treatment.
Establishing new radiotherapy facilities is a complex project, requiring new infrastructure and equipment (or better use of existing infrastructure and equipment) as well as training to ensure professionals are available to work in the new facilities, and that radiation safety protocols are followed.
In 2023 Mozambique joined the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to help bridge the gap in cancer care around the world by expanding access to radiotherapy.
“Through Rays of Hope the IAEA will continue to support the expansion of radiation medicine capacities in Mozambique, in diagnosis as well as treatment, including through support for the development and training of the national cancer care workforce,” said Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation.
ImPACT Reviews are a vital step in helping countries to improve national radiotherapy services, along with cancer control in general, as they allow international teams of cancer control experts to support national counterparts with cancer control planning and investments.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 33 members of the Senate Democratic caucus in a letter to the Trump administration demanding answers about the tens of thousands of federal health workers that have been fired this week and the unquestionable impact on Americans’ health and well-being.
“Your actions continue to show a reckless disregard for the health and well-being of American families, most significantly for underserved communities. You claim this ‘reduction in force’ will ‘make America healthy again.’ But firings of this scale will do the exact opposite,” wrote the Senators. “If you do not reverse course, you will do irreparable damage to our nation’s human services, health care delivery, public health, and scientific infrastructure – making Americans sicker and leaving our communities ill-prepared for future threats.”
The letter, sent to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), comes as HHS begins to dismantle entire agencies, like those focused on the well-being of seniors and people with disabilities and research to promote health care quality, and lay off thousands of workers across the department, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Administration for Community Living (ACL), and more.
Among the layoffs was the entire staff of the Healthy Aging Branch of the CDC, which administers Alzheimer’s disease programs and oversees the funding for Cortez Masto’s bipartisan BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. This bill – reauthorized by Congress last year – helps combat Alzheimer’s and supports caregivers and their families.
Read the full letter here.
Senator Cortez Masto has pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and the General Services Administration.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham
Netflix television series Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy accused of the murder of his female classmate. It touches upon incel online hate groups, toxic influencers and the misogynistic online spaces of the manosphere.
Adolescence is a drama and deserves the praise it has attracted. But it wasn’t developed as an educational resource, the kind that is produced in consultation with young people and schools and should be underpinned by robust research and well planned evaluations.
The series shows an extreme example of one teenager drawn into the world of the manosphere. Not all boys will see themselves reflected in this portrayal. And as a researcher working on masculinity and misogyny, my concern is that showing the series in schools may lead boys to think that they are all perceived as potential threats.
Showing the series as a teaching tool risks framing boyhood as monolithic, with one particular – and problematic – way of being a boy.
Already, a broad-brush, blame-heavy approach is often taken to boys in response to issues relating to sexual harassment and violence. “We may have a problem with boys and young men that we need to address”, Keir Starmer has said.
Boys dealing with blame
In research I have carried out for a forthcoming book on boys and masculinity, I worked with young men and boys aged 13 to 19. One 15-year-old boy said that “I am always told that I am part of the problem but never allowed to be part of the solution”. I also found that this broad blame culture leads to feelings of worthlessness in young men and boys, which shuts down vital dialogue and also may lead them to resort to looking for direction from negative spaces such as the manosphere.
It is evident from reports and evidence that young men and boys do carry out a large amount of reported sexual harassment and harms against young women and girls. This can be seen in the 2021 Ofsted report into sexual harassment in schools in England, for example. The 2025 2000 Women report states that, in the UK, a woman is killed by a man every three days.
There is evidently a serious, endemic and complex problem. The misogyny that can be popularised by toxic influencers online also needs urgently addressing.
But a “one-size-fits-all” approach to tackle “boys’ issues” may result in making things worse, not better, due to the lack of recognition of the intersectionality of boyhood. Other aspects of identity, such as race, age, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, sexuality and physical and mental health will have implications for the approaches that need to be taken.
My ongoing research has demonstrated that boyhood means differing things to different boys. In steering groups with young men and boys from various ethnicities and differing social classes, a consistent theme emerged. This was a conflict between the internal and external self that the boys felt that they had to portray. This was also highlighted in a further 16 focus groups carried out on the project, again with a range of boys.
The internal self refers to who the boys actually are, including other identity traits such as race and class, and all the other intersecting aspects of their identity. The external self is what they felt they should show as a boys to fit into the hierarchy of masculinity and how they should portray themselves to fit within the social expectations of being a boy. This causes a conflict of external and internal self.
Efforts to help boys deal with issues such as the messages of the manosphere need to be attuned to the nuance of their internal selves. Generalising boys does not account for the individual identities that they bring to the issues that affect them.
Boys as individuals
The monolithic perspective of “boys” and the ensuing group blame oversimplifies complex issues, resulting in less than effective solutions and interventions that do not acknowledge or account for the nuances and complexities that surround individual boys.
This approach ignores diversities and intersecting identities and steers societal thinking about boys as a set group. It risks stereotyping them and causing prejudicial approaches. When boys are stigmatised in such a way, it compounds issues across genders, breaks down valuable communication and can also cause resentment and hostility.
One of the key voices and valuable perspectives that is missing from this debate is that of young men and boys themselves. We need to truly listen to their perspectives and their needs and build upon these as they are the experts in the world they are experiencing. Good practice accounts for and builds upon these experiences, with young people.
My research has demonstrated that young people want to be a part of these discussions rather than having things decided for them. It also shows that, quite often, we are teaching them what they already know and providing support and education that is too little, too late. We need to move away from the broad brush blaming of boys and young men and begin to approach them based upon their own individual identities – of which gender is only a part.
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: Murray Statement on Trump & Elon Plans to Decimate VA, Firing 80,000 Employees and Putting Veterans’ Care in Grave Danger
ICYMI: Senator Murray, VA Researchers, Employees, Contractors in WA State Slam Trump & Elon’s Plans to Decimate VA With Further Mass Layoffs, Harm Services Veterans Rely On
***Report HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released a new report detailing how President Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless mass firings at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are already harming veterans’ services and health care in Washington state and across the country.
Senator Murray has been outspoken in standing up for veterans, VA employees, and VA researchers against Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate mass layoffs that will undermine critical services our nation’s veterans rely on every day. Senator Murray, a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was among the first to raise the alarm about the layoffs of VA researchers and called on President Trump to immediately reverse the firings. She pressed VA Deputy Secretary nominee Dr. Paul Lawrence on the firings of VA researchers at the hearing on his nomination last week, held a press conference with a VA employee and veteran in Seattle who was abruptly laid off as part of the mass firings with zero justification, and put out a fact sheet on how the indiscriminate mass firings were hurting workers in Washington state, including VA researchers. In January, Murray and others called on President Trump to exempt all VA employees from the hiring freeze issued as part of his Day One Executive Orders.
The full report is available HERE and below:
National View: The Department of Veterans Affairs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serves approximately nine million enrolled veterans every year. Washington state alone has around 232,000 veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. Its mission is to provide comprehensive care, support, and benefits to veterans of the United States military and their families. Core VA benefits and services include: health care including medical, mental health, and rehabilitation care; benefits and compensation including disability compensation, pensions, educational assistance, and housing loans; and burial and memorial services, including access to national cemeteries.
Like the rest of the federal government, VA employs high numbers of veterans and military spouses compared to private sector employers. Veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, and the federal government is the largest single employer of veterans in the country.
On February 13, 2024, VA Secretary Collins terminated 1,000 VA employees, including a substantial number of veterans and military spouses, without cause.Then on February 24, Secretary Collins carried out another round of illegal terminations of VA employees. This mass firing brought the total number of fired VA employees to 2,400. Of those fired, a large proportion were themselves veterans and military spouses. On March 4, a leaked internal VA memo showed that Secretary Collins planned to terminate an estimated 83,000 employees – likely including an estimated 20,000 veterans – by the end of September of this year. This plan to reduce the VA workforce to September 2019 levels, coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency, its workforce, and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves.
These measures will reverse the progress made by the previous Administration, during which VA was able to deliver more care and benefits to more veterans than ever before. It would roll back the progress and massive expansion of care and benefits from the bipartisan PACT Act, the largest expansion of VA health care and benefits in decades. These mass firings also threaten to erode recent progress in lowering the veteran unemployment rate, which has been a longstanding, bipartisan priority.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Provides Necessary Services and Has Ripple Effects Across Washington State
Before these mass firings, the VA was already experiencing staff shortages. The recent additional staffing and funding cuts will exacerbate these shortages and negatively impact the care veterans receive.
Former VA employees describe likely irreversible damage to the VA system, including loss of innovation and increased strain on already scarce staff time and resources.
Future Zhou, a disabled Army veteran who worked as an Inventory Manager at the Puget Sound VA Medical Center in Washington state, was abruptly let go due to recent workforce cuts imposed by the Trump Administration. By eliminating inventory management positions, understaffed nurses will now be burdened with additional responsibilities as they work to provide top-notch care with already limited time. Veteran patients will need to wait longer for medication and equipment they need while they are receiving care.
“Unfortunately, I was not alone. Five other logistics personnel in our probationary phase were dismissed within hours of me, two mail clerks and three supply techs. The unprofessional manner in which these decisions were executed was incredibly disrespectful. I have since visited my office—because I still receive my care at the Seattle VA—and witnessed firsthand the undue stress and devastation that these indiscriminate firings have caused. Our supply team is now more than seven days behind on placing critical supply requests for medication and equipment in our hospital, and our supply techs have had to cut their night shifts, limiting deliveries to our clinics. I saw nurses going down to the warehouse to collect their own supplies in order to continue to provide quality care to our veterans. I am not confident that the hospital can remain open under these conditions.”
Christian Helfrich, who served twenty years with the Puget Sound VA Medical Center as a research investigator, was one of seven research employees laid off because their research terms were not renewed due to the hiring freeze.
“In terms of what the effect will be on veterans… it’s not having innovative care developed in the VA, like pulmonary teams using the Electronic Health Record to identify problems for veterans before they happen, preventing things like pneumonia, and it’s not doing things like having people systematically identifying problems with the new Oracle Electronic Health Record… Research is an investment in the future—and if we don’t invest in research today, we are not investing in the future of the VA. And I’ll just add, what’s going on right now isn’t a two-way door where you can tear down the VA and then see what happens, and if you don’t like it, go back to the way it was. This is a one-way door —if we tear it down now, it is going to take years or decades to build back.”
Raphael Garcia, a 100% disabled Army veteran and combat engineer, was abruptly fired from his role as a management analyst with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by the current administration.
“I swore an oath to serve our country—first in the U.S. Army and then at the VA—only to be suddenly terminated by the very institution that promised to care for those who have served … Removing key personnel, not only delays claim processing, it erodes the institutional knowledge built over years of service, and sacrifices the care and compassion our veterans deserve.”
All three of these VA employees provided essential services to improve the health and lives of veterans. Without these staff and the other dedicated VA employees who were unduly fired, health care access and disability claim decisions will be delayed, services will be eliminated, and overall care for veterans will be negatively impacted.
One veteran, who is a prominent member and advocate in his local veteran service organization, confirmed that these cuts will further stress these systems that veterans rely on.
Joshua Schrek is an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who now lives in Renton, Washington and serves as a Judge Advocate General of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He’s been active in the VFW for over 15 years, previously serving at the post, district, and department levels, including previously being the Department of Washington VFW state Chief of Staff. His comments represent his own views and not those of VFW.
“I have received information directly from an employee at the Seattle VA who expressed serious concerns. He shared that his department is responsible for overseeing 46 veteran-facing products and services, including My HealtheVet, Community Care Billing, Enrollment & Eligibility, and the Veterans Crisis Line. Out of 140 authorized positions, only 65 are filled – expected to drop to 59. He also noted that they rely on over 700 contractors, and with contract cancellations happening centrally and without local input, there’s a risk these systems could go offline with no available staff to restore them.”
“The situation has the potential to affect not only veterans but also the families who rely on VA support systems. If services like benefits processing, crisis response, and access to medical care are interrupted, it creates stress and instability for those trying to navigate an already complex system. One particularly alarming note shared with me was that if some systems break, they may ‘stay down indefinitely’ due to a lack of technical staff to fix them.”
The Trump Administration is Damaging Veterans’ Access to Care for Years to Come
Trump and Musk are putting the health care and benefits veterans have earned in grave danger. They are firing tens of thousands of people responsible for administering the services and care that over nine million veterans enrolled in VA health care across the country count on—and it’s a breach of the sacred commitment we make to our veterans to take care of them when they return home. These arbitrary mass layoffs, at the very least, are going to mean longer processing times for disability or education claims veterans are desperately waiting on and longer wait times for veterans to see a healthcare provider—to say nothing of the serious threat to patient safety or the threat of VA medical centers closing. For example, the Puget Sound VA already has 40 mental health position vacancies, 14 of which are psychology positions. Firing additional employees will only further decrease access to mental health care. The consequences will reverberate for generations—more veterans sick and unable to get their benefits, more veterans out of a job, and fewer men and women willing to sign up to serve a nation that shows it will not keep their promises to them.
A federal jury convicted a Louisiana chiropractor yesterday for his role in health care fraud and unemployment insurance fraud schemes totaling millions of dollars.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Benjamin Tekippe, 40, of New Orleans, was a chiropractor and owner of Metairie Chiropractic & Rehab in New Orleans. Tekippe solicited patients with insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) at schools, public events, and on social media to receive chiropractic massages, which he misleadingly advertised as “free.” Tekippe would then routinely bill BCBSLA for chiropractic services he did not perform. In total, Tekippe fraudulently submitted over $2.3 million in claims to BCBSLA for services not performed and was reimbursed approximately $740,000 by the insurance provider. The fraudulent claims sought payment for thousands of chiropractic services purportedly provided by Tekippe during periods when he was out of the office, traveling on vacation, or incarcerated for past arrests. The evidence also showed that in response to a medical records request from a BCBSLA auditor, Tekippe fabricated patient records and instructed his staff to write them in their own handwriting to make it falsely appear that the services had been performed as billed. Evidence at trial showed that Tekippe spent the fraud proceeds on, among other things, luxury goods and gambling.
In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tekippe submitted weekly certifications falsely claiming that he was unemployed when he was billing for chiropractic services purportedly performed during his claimed unemployment. Through this scheme, Tekippe received $12,952 in unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.
Tekippe was convicted of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count and 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region, Baton Rouge Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
A Florida man pleaded guilty on Monday to purchasing Medicare identification numbers and using those numbers to cause over $8.4 million of false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare.
Corey Alston, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification numbers in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that were ineligible for reimbursement. According to court documents, Alston and his co-defendant, Latresia A. Wilson, conspired to unlawfully purchase Medicare beneficiary identification information (including Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers) and used that information to submit millions of dollars in claims to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that the beneficiaries did not want or request.
Over the course of just seven months, from July 2022 through February 2023, Alston, Wilson, and others, through companies they owned and controlled, submitted over $8.4 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare that were ineligible for reimbursement. Medicare paid over $2.6 million based on the false and fraudulent claims. Alston personally earned over $2.3 million from the scheme.
Wilson previously pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. Alston is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9. Alston and Wilson each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and Keith Clouser and Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Acting Assistant Chief Justin Woodard assisted in charging the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
The Diagnostics and Telemedicine Center of the Moscow City Health Department has received a license to conduct educational activities in the specialty of “Residency in Radiology”. This program is aimed at comprehensive training in radiology, combining extensive theoretical knowledge from leading Russian specialists and practical immersion in the diagnostic process. The training covers all stages – from obtaining an image to its evaluation, which allows residents to gain practical experience.
Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine.
Yuri Vasiliev, Chief Consultant in Radiology at the Moscow Health Department and CEO of the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine, emphasized the importance of training personnel in this area. “Our Center is a leader in diagnostic imaging training in Russia. Our specialists strive to share their experience and innovations, develop the profession of a radiologist, and train a new generation. In an era of rapid technological progress, deep knowledge and continuous improvement of skills are crucial for making accurate diagnoses and timely detection of diseases,” Vasiliev noted.
Alexander Bazhin, Deputy Director for Academic Affairs, emphasized that the Center pays special attention to professional training. “Since 2017, we have been engaged in additional professional education, and since 2023, we have been training postgraduate students. Today, obtaining a license for the residency program underlines our commitment to providing high-quality medical care through the professional training of radiologists.”
The residency program is designed to prepare specialists for independent practice for two years. Upon completion, doctors will receive the right to primary specialized accreditation, giving them the right to call themselves radiologists. Although residency is not mandatory for graduates of medical schools, it offers in-depth training that meets modern medical standards.
In 2024, the Center introduced 35 new educational programs, conducted 38 face-to-face and 418 online courses, 29 master classes using image phantoms and more than 50 webinars, which were attended by about 30,000 people.
The Diagnostics and Telemedicine Center, established in 1996, is a leading scientific and practical organization within the Moscow City Hall Social Development Complex. The Center is engaged in the implementation of artificial intelligence in medicine, the development of radiology, and the development of programs for training medical personnel.
The Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine, under the Moscow Healthcare Department, has been granted a license to conduct educational activities in the specialty of radiology residency. This program aims to provide comprehensive training in radiology, combining extensive theoretical knowledge from leading Russian specialists with practical immersion in the diagnostic process. The training spans from image acquisition to evaluation, ensuring residents gain hands-on experience.
Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine.
Yuri Vasiliev, Chief Consultant for Radiology of Moscow Healthcare Department and CEO of the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine, emphasized the importance of personnel training in the field. “Our Center is a leader in diagnostic imaging education in Russia. Our experts are committed to sharing their expertise and innovations, promoting the profession of radiology, and training the next generation. In this era of rapid technological advancements, deep knowledge and continuous skill improvement are crucial for accurate diagnoses and timely disease detection,” Vasiliev noted.
Alexander Bazhin, Deputy Director for Education, highlighted the Center’s focus on professional training. “Since 2017, we have been involved in additional professional education, and since 2023, we have been training postgraduates. Today, receiving a license for the residency program underscores our commitment to ensuring high-quality medical care through the professional training of radiologists.”
The residency program is designed to prepare specialists for independent practice over a two-year period. Upon completion, doctors will be eligible for primary specialized accreditation, qualifying them as radiologists. While residency is not mandatory for medical school graduates, it offers advanced training that aligns with modern medical standards.
In 2024, the Center introduced 35 new educational programs, conducted 38 face-to-face and 418 online courses, 29 master classes utilizing imaging phantoms, and over 50 webinars, attracting approximately 30,000 participants.
The Centre for Diagnostics and Telemedicine, established in 1996, is a leading scientific and practical organization within the Social Development Complex of the Moscow Mayor’s Office. The Center focuses on the implementation of AI in medicine, the advancement of radiology, and the development of medical training programs.
A Florida man pleaded guilty on Monday to purchasing Medicare identification numbers and using those numbers to cause over $8.4 million of false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare.
Corey Alston, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification numbers in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that were ineligible for reimbursement. According to court documents, Alston and his co-defendant, Latresia A. Wilson, conspired to unlawfully purchase Medicare beneficiary identification information (including Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers) and used that information to submit millions of dollars in claims to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that the beneficiaries did not want or request.
Over the course of just seven months, from July 2022 through February 2023, Alston, Wilson, and others, through companies they owned and controlled, submitted over $8.4 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare that were ineligible for reimbursement. Medicare paid over $2.6 million based on the false and fraudulent claims. Alston personally earned over $2.3 million from the scheme.
Wilson previously pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. Alston is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9. Alston and Wilson each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and Keith Clouser and Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Acting Assistant Chief Justin Woodard assisted in charging the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
More than 500 million people around the world live with osteoarthritis. The knee is affected more often than any other joint, with symptoms (such as pain, stiffness and reduced movement) affecting work, sleep, sport and daily activities.
Knee osteoarthritis is often thought of as thinning of the protective layer of cartilage within the joint. But we now understand it affects all the structures of the joint, including the bones, muscles and nerve endings.
While there are things that can be done to manage the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, there is no cure, and many people experience persistent pain. As a result, an opportunity exists for as yet unproven treatments to enter the market, often before regulatory safeguards can be put in place.
Stem cell injections are one such treatment. A new review my colleagues and I published this week finds that evidence of their benefits and harms remains elusive.
Stem cell treatments
Stem cells are already established as treatments for some diseases – mostly disorders of the blood, bone marrow or immune system – which has led to suggestions they could be used for a much wider array of conditions.
Stem cells have been touted as promising treatments for osteoarthritis because they have special properties which allow them to replicate and develop into the mature healthy cells that make up our body’s organs and other tissues, including cartilage.
Stem cell treatments for osteoarthritis generally involve taking a sample of tissue from a site that is rich in stem cells (such as bone marrow or fat), treating it to increase the number of stem cells, then injecting it into the joint.
The hope is that if the right type of stem cells can be introduced into an osteoarthritic joint in the right way and at the right time, they may help to repair damaged structures in the joint, or have other effects such as reducing inflammation.
But no matter how convincing the theory, we need good evidence for effectiveness and safety before a new therapy is adopted into practice.
Stem cells have been touted as promising treatments for osteoarthritis. But what does the evidence say? crystal light/Shutterstock
Stem cell injections have not been approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Nonetheless, some clinics in Australia and around the world still offer them.
Because of the regulatory restrictions, we don’t have reliable numbers on how many procedures are being done.
They’re not covered by Medicare, so the procedure can cost the consumer thousands of dollars.
And, as with any invasive procedure, both the harvest of stem cells and the joint injection procedure may carry the potential for harm, such as infection.
What we found
Our new review, published by the independent, international group the Cochrane Collaboration, looks at all 25 randomised trials of stem cell injections for knee osteoarthritis that have been conducted worldwide to date. Collectively, these studies involved 1,341 participants.
We found stem cell injections may slightly improve pain and function compared with a placebo injection, but the size of the improvement may be too small for the patient to notice.
The evidence isn’t strong enough to determine whether there is any improvement in quality of life following a stem cell injection, whether cartilage regrows, or to estimate the risk of harm.
This means we can’t confidently say yet whether any improvement that might follow a stem cell injection is worth the risk (or the cost).
It’s not surprising we invest hope in finding a transformative treatment for such a common and disabling condition. Belief in the benefits of stem cells is widespread – more than three-quarters of Americans believe stem cells can relieve arthritis pain and more than half believe this treatment to be curative.
But what happens if a new treatment is introduced to practice before it has been clearly proven to be safe and effective?
The use of an unproven, invasive therapy is not just associated with the risks of the intervention itself. Even if the treatment were harmless, there is the risk of unnecessary cost, inconvenience, and a missed opportunity for the patient to use existing therapies that are known to be effective.
What’s more, if we need to play catch-up to try to establish an evidence base for a treatment that’s already in practice, we risk diverting scarce research resources towards a therapy that may not prove to be effective, simply because the genie is out of the bottle.
Several more large clinical trials are currently underway, and should increase our understanding of whether stem cell injections are safe and effective for knee osteoarthritis.
Our review incorporates “living evidence”. This means we will continue to add the results of new trials as soon as they’re published, so the review is always up to date, and offers a comprehensive and trustworthy summary to help people with osteoarthritis and their health-care providers to make informed decisions.
In the meantime, there are a number of evidence-based treatment options. Non-drug treatments such as physiotherapy, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and cognitive behavioural therapy can be more effective than you think. Anti-inflammatory and pain medications can also play a supporting role.
Importantly, it’s not inevitable that osteoarthritic joints get worse with time. So, even though joint replacement surgery is often highly effective, it’s the last resort and fortunately, many people never need to take this step.
Samuel Whittle is supported by an Australia and New Zealand Musculoskeletal (ANZMUSC) Clinical Trial Network Practitioner Fellowship and by a grant from The Hospital Research Foundation Group. Dr Whittle currently serves as President of the Australian Rheumatology Association.
Disinfectant Wipes/Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
Trials
United States v. Don M. Rynn
No. 2:24-CR-00653 (District of South Carolina)
AUSA Winston Holliday
AUSA Amy Bower
On March 20, 2025, a jury convicted Don M. Rynn of making false statements to federal agents and falsifying fishing records (18 U.S.C. §§ 1001, 1519).
Rynn managed several commercial fishing vessels in the McClellanville area, including the Maximum Retriever and the Crystal C. The vessels docked at Carolina Seafood, a federally licensed dealer.
On March 21, 2023, the Maximum Retriever embarked on a commercial fishing trip captained by the defendant’s son, who Rynn instructed to catch as many fish as he could (ignoring federally imposed quotas). Rynn told his son he would “take care of things” when he returned.
The Maximum Retriever returned to McClellanville shortly after midnight on March 27, 2023, with almost three times the legal limit of snowy grouper on board, and one and a half times the allowable number of grey tilefish. Rynn was waiting for the boat to arrive. Once the Maximum Retriever was in place, the Crystal C was maneuvered so that the two boats were side-by-side.
Rynn then directed deckhands to move fish from the ice hold of the Maximum Retriever to the Crystal C. They removed additional fish from the Maximum Retriever to Rynn’s truck to take to another seafood dealer in Georgetown.
In the mandatory trip report filed shortly thereafter, Rynn reported his catch only up to the limit, hiding the fact that the Maximum Retriever had vastly overfished. He attributed a substantial portion of the catch to the Crystal C, which had remained moored at the dock.
On March 27, 2023, law enforcement officers received an anonymous tip alerting them to the excessive catch. The Georgetown seafood dealer that had received some of the overage initially lied to cover for Rynn. When he realized the agents were closing in, the dealer threw the fish in the river to get rid of them.
In October 2023, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) agents interviewed Rynn about the incidents in March. Rynn lied, saying the snowy grouper and tilefish had been contaminated by a fuel spill while at sea, and that he had disposed of them in a dumpster. Rynn further implied that a U.S. Coast Guard report addressing an unlawful discharge into Jeremy Creek was inaccurate and should have been attributed to the Crystal C, which would have bolstered his fuel spill story.
In total, the Maximum Retriever caught approximately 560 pounds of snowy grouper and 450 pounds of tilefish. The legal limit for grouper is 200 pounds and 300 for tilefish.
NOAA, the U. S. Coast Guard, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Saltwater Team conducted the investigation.
Photo from dock surveillance camera showing Rynn on back of boat directing two individuals to carry a tote of federally protected fish to his truck.
On March 14, 2025, a court unsealed a complaint charging the chief executive officer of a Georgia-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) company with illegally importing 500 cylinders of potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Peru.
William Randolph Hires is charged with violating the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) by unlawfully importing 500 cylinders of HFCs (42 U.S.C. §§ 7675, 7413).
In April 2022, on behalf of his company, Hires purchased 500 cylinders of HFCs in Peru. Over the next several months, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials explained to Hires’s employees that, under the AIM Act and its implementing regulations, Hires’s company could not lawfully import the HFCs into the United States because it did not have the required EPA-issued allowances. In a July 22, 2022, email to one of Hires’s employees, an EPA official stated “it is not possible to import bulk HFCs without consumption allowances.”
Hires’s employees conveyed this information from the EPA to Hires on several occasions. On one occasion, an employee forwarded an email to Hires that the employee had received from an EPA official which stated, “[t]he HFC you listed (R-410A) is a regulated substance. So, if you do not have allowances, you cannot import those bulk HFC refrigerants.” In another email exchange between Hires and an employee, the employee informed Hires that, based on a video conference the employee had with EPA officials, shipping without the necessary allowances would violate import laws so “[i]t is out of our hands.”
Hires nevertheless instructed his employees to illegally import the HFCs into the United States. In a July 28, 2022 email, Hires stated to his employees: “[y]eah you have to be careful what agencies you’re reaching out to because the EPA . . . can create a hassle and they can hold our stuff up in customs there[.]” In a subsequent email, Hires instructed his employees to “get [the HFCs] on the ship and get it out to sea . . . don’t care what it takes[.]” Hires later instructed his employees via email: “Do not call the EPA please do not.”
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
United States v. Leshon E. Johnson
No. 6:25-CR-00012 (Eastern District of Oklahoma)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy
ECS Trial Attorney Sarah Brown
AUSA Jordan Howantiz
ECS Law Clerk Amanda Backer
On March 20, 2025, Leshon E. Johnson was arraigned on an indictment charging him with violating the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. § 2156(b) & 18 U.S.C. § 49). Specifically, Johnson possessed 190 pit bull-type dogs for the purpose of having the dogs participate in an animal fighting venture, and for selling, transporting, and delivering a dog for use in an animal fighting venture. Federal authorities seized the 190 dogs from Johnson in October 2024 as authorized under the Animal Welfare Act. This is believed to be the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog fighting case.
Johnson ran a dog fighting operation known as “Mal Kant Kennels” in both Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. He previously ran “Krazyside Kennels,” also out of Oklahoma, which led to his guilty plea on state animal fighting charges in 2004. Johnson selectively bred “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs — dogs that have respectively won three or five fights — to produce offspring with fighting traits and abilities desired by him and others for use in dog fights. Johnson marketed and sold stud rights and offspring from winning fighting dogs to other dog fighters looking to incorporate the Mal Kant Kennels “bloodline” into their own dog fighting operations. His trafficking of fighting dogs to other dog fighters across the country contributed to the growth of the dog fighting industry and allowed Johnson to profit financially. Trial is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Guilty Pleas
United States v. Terrell Williams
No. 4:23-CR-00692 (Eastern District of Missouri)
AUSA Jillian Anderson
On March 7, 2025, Terrell Williams pleaded guilty to an Animal Fighting Venture violation for hosting dog fights in his home and training dogs to fight (7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)-(c); 18 U.S.C. § 49(a)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2025.
Between September 2020 through May 2022, Williams hosted fights in a wooden “box” setup in the basement of his home in Riverview, Missouri. He also owned and bred bull terriers and terrier mixes that were used for fights. On June 22, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s home and seized eight bull terrier mixes and three Yorkshire terriers. The dogs bore scars consistent with fighting. Agents also removed equipment used to train and condition dogs, including weighted vests and a canine treadmill.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Dog rescued from defendant’s home during execution of search warrant. Photo included with detention motion filed with the court.
On March 11, 2025, Nicholas Dryden pleaded guilty to creating and distributing videos depicting the torture of monkeys (known as animal “crush” videos) (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 48(a)(3)). Co-defendant Giancarlo Morelli entered a similar plea in December 2024.
Dryden commissioned videos from a 17-year-old in Indonesia who was willing to commit specified acts of torture on video in exchange for payment. Dryden utilized Telegram, a cross-platform messaging app that includes encrypted group messaging and private chats, to advertise the animal crush videos and solicit funding for additional videos. Within these private groups, Dryden shared snippets of videos that he commissioned and advertised that the full content was for sale. Co-defendants Morelli and Philip Colt Moss each sent money to Dryden more than a dozen times in exchange for monkey torture videos.
Thereafter, they frequently gave feedback on the videos and Morelli sometimes suggested torturous acts he’d like to see in future videos.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jose Manuel Valenzuela
No. 3:24-CR-01037 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
AUSA Laura Sambataro
On March 18, 2025, Jose Manuel Valenzuela pleaded guilty to intentionally failing to present refrigerant tanks for inspection (19 U.S.C. §§ 1433, 1436). Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2025.
On April 22, 2024, Valenzuela (an HVAC technician) attempted to enter the United States from Mexico without declaring four 24-pound tanks of 404A refrigerant (a hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant) in his vehicle.
Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Robert C. Schmid
No. 3:25-mj-00011 (Eastern District of Virginia)
AUSA Carla Jordan-Detamore
On March 25, 2025, Robert C. Schmid pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(A), 1361(b)(1)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2025.
Schmid owned the Atlantic Manufacturing Group, LLC (AMG), which manufactured and sold cleaning and janitorial products. AMG marketed and sold its products via various means, including a website, as well as through outside sales representatives. In September 2017, AMG entered into an agreement with “Company 1” to purchase a product called “Maquat 64-PD” for which Company 1 had obtained a registration from the EPA. AMG entered into this Agreement because it wanted to distribute and sell its liquid ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant, made with Company 1’s Maquat 64-PD.
In October 2017, the EPA approved the label for AMG’s ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant. The label made clear that the product was hazardous to humans and animals and was not for use on clothing or on skin.
Beginning in May 2020, and acting on behalf of AMG, Schmid began manufacturing and selling AMG “Hygienic Facility Wipes” that purportedly protected users from COVID-19. Schmid sold these wipes to janitorial services that supported government entities, gyms and health clubs, universities, and janitorial product retailers. AMG manufactured these wipes by applying the ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant to dry wipes and packaging the wipes in plastic buckets or plastic packages. These wipes, however, were not registered with the EPA pursuant to FIFRA and did not have EPA approved labels or safety guidance. Investigators also determined that Schmid, his employees, and outside sales reps made unauthorized claims about the efficacy and safety of these wipes to potential customers.
After Company 1 issued Schmid a cease-and-desist email in August of 2020 about the unauthorized use of its product, Schmid switched to “Company 2” to use its liquid, which was not registered with the EPA, in its wipes. Schmid, however, continued to claim that his wipes were an EPA-registered product. AMG also generated product labels claiming the wipes eradicated corona viruses, in addition to other falsified information (to include the ingredient list).
Between March and November 2020, AMG sold approximately 5,000 cases of the wipes, taking in close to $415,000 in sales and making approximately $33,000 in gross profit.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Robert J. Bullock, Sr.
No. 1:24-CR-10056 (District of Massachusetts)
AUSA Benjamin Tolkoff
On March 26, 2025, Robert J. Bullock, Sr., pleaded guilty to violating the Safe Drinking Water Act for tampering with public water systems (42 U.S.C. § 300i-1(a)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2025.
On the evening of November 29, 2022, Bullock, a former Stoughton Water Department employee, went into one of the Water Department’s pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water. As a result, water that had not been properly disinfected was introduced into the drinking water system.
When questioned by investigators, Bullock claimed to not have tampered with the water system. Specifically, Bullock said that he had not knowingly turned off the chlorine pump at Goddard Pumping Station 7 on the night of November 29, 2022, when in fact he had; and that he did not set the alarms for the chlorine level to zero that night, when he did.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and the Stoughton Massachusetts Police Department conducted the investigation.
Sentencings
United States v. National Water Main Cleaning Company
No. 3:25-CR-00002 (District of Connecticut)
AUSA Hal Chen
RCEC Man Chak Ng
On March 4, 2025, a court sentenced the National Water Main Cleaning Company (NWMCC) to pay a $500,000 fine, complete a three-year term of probation, and implement an environmental compliance program. The company will also employ an independent outside consultant to perform a compliance audit and identify an environmental compliance manager for its Connecticut facilities. NWMCC will also make a payment of $500,000 to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) to fund aquatic ecosystem enhancement projects in the South-Central Coastal Watershed.
The company pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) for knowingly discharging a pollutant into Cuff Brook while refurbishing a large culvert pipe in Cheshire, Connecticut, in July 2019 (33 U.S.C. §§ 1319 (c)(2)(A); 1311(a)). The unauthorized discharge of uncured geopolymer mortar killed more than 150 fish and contaminated Cuff Brook.
At the time of the incident, NWMCC was operating under a Code of Conduct as part of a 2014 settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to resolve civil allegations involving environmental pollution.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
United States v. Fidelity Development Group LLC
No. 3:24-CR-00077(Southern District of Ohio)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
On March 4, 2024, a court sentenced Fidelity Development Group LLC (Fidelity) to pay a $100,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Fidelity pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for failing to inspect for the presence of asbestos (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(1)).
In 2015 or 2016, Fidelity purchased a building and planned to renovate it into a mixed-use property. Fidelity failed to perform or acquire an asbestos survey for the building prior to renovations. Around April 2020, a certified asbestos company conducted an asbestos survey in the Fidelity Building and identified more than 12,000 linear feet of 80% chrysolite asbestos pipe wrap insulation in friable condition.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc.,et al.
Nos. 1:24-CR-00235, 00250 (Middle District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA William Behe
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc., to pay an $80,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Mechanic Leon Martin will complete a two-year term of probation, to include three months’ home detention, and pay a $500,000 fine.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) for tampering with the emission control systems for several heavy-duty diesel trucks (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Between 2018 and October 2023, Martin provided “tuning” or “reprogramming” services by modifying the engine control modules (ECMs) on diesel trucks. The ECM is a computerized system that manages and controls the engine’s performance. During that time, Martin tampered with the emissions diagnostic systems on the vehicles for many companies to prevent the diagnostic system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware.
Frock, a long-distance trucking company based in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, transports a variety of goods, including snack foods, refrigerated items, and produce. Ed Frock owned the company until his death in August 2022.
Between November 13, 2018, and December 28, 2018, Frock contracted with co-defendant Martin to disable and/or remove emission control components from eight of their diesel trucks. Frock removed the vehicles’ ECMs from their engines and shipped them to Martin for reprogramming. Once the devices were “tuned,” Martin shipped them back to Frock, where they were reinstalled on the trucks. Martin also tampered with the onboard diagnostic equipment (OBD) to delete factory-installed emission controls from Frock’s heavy duty diesel trucks. Martin’s tunes enabled those deleted trucks to operate without emission control devices, which are required by federal law.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On March 6, 2025, a court sentencedBenjamin Gathercole to complete a one-year term of probation, after he pleaded guilty to violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for illegally transporting hazardous waste without a manifest (42 U.S.C. § 6928(d)(5)).
Gathercole lived in Tappahannock, Virginia, and worked at a local brake manufacturing facility. In 2019, a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) inspector determined that the brake manufacturing facility failed to make an accurate waste determination for 32 55-gallon drums stored on site. Some of the drums displayed labels noting they contained hazardous waste, but not in accordance with RCRA requirements. The DEQ issued a notice of violation to the facility in May 2019.
In September and October 2019, Gathercole removed 31 of the 55-gallon drums from the facility and transported them to his residence. He dug a hole near his property and buried the drums in the ground. He crushed some of them in the process, causing their contents to spill onto the ground.
In December 2020, a citizen tipped off the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the illegal burial. In November 2021, agents executed a search warrant on the defendant’s property. Gathercole admitted to burying the drums at the request of his employer and directed authorities to where he had buried them. Further testing confirmed the waste was ignitable hazardous waste. The EPA finished excavating the site in November 2022.
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division and the EPA National Enforcement Investigation Center conducted the investigation.
United States v. Keidrick D. Usifo, et al.
No. 24-CR-00040 (Eastern District of Arkansas)
AUSA Edward Walker
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced Keidrick Usifo to pay a $5,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Co-defendant Deon Johnson will pay a $1,000 fine and complete an 18-month term of probation. Usifo and Johnson previously pleaded guilty to violating the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA)(16 U.S.C. §§ 3372 (e)(1)(A), 3373 (d)).
Lawmakers enacted the BCPSA in December 2022 to protect the public by prohibiting the private ownership of big cats (such as tigers and lions) as pets and by prohibiting exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including tiger cubs. This law places new restrictions on the commerce, breeding, possession, and use of certain big cat species.
In April 2023, a citizen tipped off local game authorities after seeing a tiger cub in a residential neighborhood in Conway, Arkansas. Further investigation confirmed that Usifo purchased a tiger in March 2023 from a broker in Dallas, Texas, and brought it back to his residence in Arkansas.
After receiving a second complaint about the tiger cub, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on April 21, 2023, arresting Usifo on a felony state warrant. The Conway Police Department then executed a search warrant at Usifo’s residence. The animal was not there, but they found evidence of its presence, including the fact that rooms in the house matched those in photos of the tiger that Usifo posted on Instagram.
While in the Pulaski County Detention Facility (PCDF), Usifo made several calls to Johnson, asking him to take care of the tiger while Usifo was held in detention. Johnson concealed his knowledge of the tiger when questioned by agents.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Conway Police Department, and the Little Rock Police Department.
Tiger cub, now named Fred, rescued by the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Photo taken by case agent June 2024.
United States v. Frankluis Carela De Jesús, et al.
No. 3:24-CR-00174 (District of Puerto Rico)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
AUSA Seth Erbe
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced the final two Dominican nationals who attempted to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. Frankluis Carela De Jesús will serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Domingo Heureau Altagracia will complete eight months of incarceration and three years of supervised release. Waner Balbuena and Juan Graviel Ramírez Cedano were each previously sentenced to serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. All the defendants pleaded guilty to Lacey Act trafficking and to smuggling wildlife from the United States (18 U.S.C. § 554; 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), (a)(4), 3373(d)(1)(B)).
On May 3, 2024, the four Dominican nationals traveled in a flagless vessel departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. They intended to smuggle various species of tropical birds to the Dominican Republic for financial gain. When the vessel was approximately 30 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) approached the vessel and witnessed the crew tossing objects overboard. Following the boarding of the vessel, USCG authorities recovered several of the jettisoned objects, which were wooden cages containing tropical birds. Approximately 113 birds drowned as a result.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
On March 10, 2025, a court sentenced Travis Larson to pay a $40,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Larson will also pay $2,400 in restitution, to be divided between the State of Alaska and the Port Graham Authority. Larson will forfeit $150,000 and is prohibited from hunting anywhere in the world or providing any big game commercial services while under supervision. Larsen pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally transporting four black bears and making false records (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B); (d)(3)(A)).
Larson worked as a licensed big game transporter since 2010, and provided transport services through his company, Alaska Premier Sportfishing LLC (APS). Larson and APS offered paying clients transportation for multi-day hunting and fishing trips aboard a 65-foot liveaboard vessel, Venturess.
In May 2018, Larson transported eight hunters on a black bear hunt in the Nuka Bay area of the Kenai Peninsula. Each hunter paid $3,500 to participate in the hunt. The group included four Norwegian nationals. Larson knew all four people were not U.S. residents, nor were they accompanied by a licensed hunting guide or assistant guide, as required under state law.
On May 9, 2018, one foreign hunter was transported to a beach adjacent to Surprise Bay to hunt a black bear. The hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On May 10, 2018, Larson transported three foreign hunters to a beach adjacent to Beauty Bay to hunt black bears. Two of the hunters each shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the Port Graham Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation, and the other hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On both days, Larson transported the hunters and the illegally harvested black bears back to his vesselvia the smaller motorboat.
On May 11, 2018, Larson transported the four foreign hunters and the four illegally harvested black bears to Homer, Alaska, where he knew the black bears would be transported in interstate and foreign commerce following the hunt. The government dismissed the charges against Larson’s business.
The National Park Service Investigative Services Branch and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
On March 10, 2025, a court sentenced Dugan Paul Daniels to six months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release, for falsifying fishing records in violation of the Lacey Act and illegally taking a sperm whale in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(d)(2), 3373(d)(3)(A), 1583(a)(1)(C), 1540(b)(1)). Daniels will also pay a $25,000 fine and perform 80 hours of community service, and is banned from commercial fishing for one year.
Daniels is a commercial fisherman with 20 years of experience. Between October and November 2020, he submitted falsified fishing records to make it appear that he lawfully caught sablefish, aka “black cod,” in federal waters on two separate occasions. In fact, Daniels illegally harvested the fish in State of Alaska waters, specifically, in Chatham Strait and Clarence Strait. The total market value of the illegally harvested fish was $127,528.
In March 2020, Daniels and three crew members were fishing for sablefish southwest of Yakobi Island in the Gulf of Alaska when they came upon a sperm whale. During the encounter, Daniels directed a crewman to shoot the whale multiple times and also tried to ram the whale with his fishing vessel. Daniels documented the encounter in writing and through text messages sent from a GPS communication device. Some of the messages stated he wished he “had a cannon to blow” the whale out of the water and that he hoped “to be reeling in a dead sperm whale.” It is a violation of the ESA to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct involving an endangered species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
No. 2:23-CR-00177 (Eastern District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA Christopher Parisi
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Bien King and Khalil King to each complete three-year terms of probation, to include six months’ home confinement. Bien King was also sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine. The defendants pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for selling a misbranded pesticide and for violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for selling misbranded animal drugs (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(E); 21 U.S.C. § 331(a)).
Bien King started “Little City Dogs” (LCD) a New York corporation with office space in New York City. Bien King also created a website that sold various products intended to treat diseases or pests in animals. Bien King’s son, Khalil, worked in the New York office. Khalil King was responsible for mixing ingredients and packaging various products for shipment. The defendants obtained the ingredients for these products from various suppliers in China. They knew that these suppliers routinely mislabeled shipments of these products to avoid detection by customs officials.
When LCD received orders from online sales, Khalil King and others shipped the products from the New York office to customers throughout the United States. An undercover agent placed several orders for various products through the LCD website. These purchases included a January 17, 2020, order for fipronil drops and ivermectin. Fipronil is designed to treat external parasites such as fleas and ticks. Ivermectin is designed to control heartworms in dogs and cats.
The defendants shipped the fipronil drops and ivermectin from New York to an address in Springfield, Pennsylvania. The labeling and packaging material accompanying the fipronil drops did not include information required by law. The labeling and packaging material accompanying the ivermectin likewise did not include required information. Furthermore, LCD’s facility in New York City was not registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jose V. Fernandez
No. 1:24-CR-00071 (District of Rhode Island)
AUSA John McAdams
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Jose V. Fernandez to complete a two-year term of probation. Fernandez pleaded guilty to making false statements for distributing false asbestos abatement training certifications (18 U.S.C. § 1001 (a)(3)).
Fernandez owned the Rhode Island Safety Environment Training Center. The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDH) accredited the facility to provide asbestos abatement training. On multiple occasions between 2021 and 2023, Fernandez submitted false documentation to the RIDH attesting that nearly two dozen individuals paid for, attended, and successfully completed an Environmental Protection Agency-approved abatement training program when, in fact, no one attended any classes.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Rhode Island Department of Health conducted the investigation.
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Pedro Luis Bones-Torres to 12 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Bones-Torres pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act for illegally constructing and depositing material into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (the “Jobos Estuarine Reserve”) and Las Mareas community of Salinas, Puerto Rico (33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), 403).
Starting in January 2020, Bones-Torres engaged in construction and land clearing activities on a property to the South of Camino de Galileo in the Las Mareas area of Salinas, Puerto Rico (the “Property”). Much of the Property supported mangrove trees with an open area that was occasionally partially submerged by the sea tides. This wetland area was within the Jobos Estuarine Reserve.
Between January 2020 and October 2022, Bones-Torres removed mangroves from the Property, depositing fill material onto the wetland area using excavation and earth moving equipment. After he filled the wetlands, he built a concrete pad, a concrete gazebo with an outdoor kitchen, a wooden gazebo, and a dock extending into Mar Negro. Bones-Torres did not seek or receive approval to fill the wetlands and was at no point permitted to fill wetlands on or near the Property.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
United States v. Royce Gillham
No. 2:24-CR-14046 (Southern District of Florida)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
AUSA Daniel Funk
On March 13, 2025, a court sentenced Royce Gillham to 37 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Gillham, the former General Manager of a biofuel producer based in Fort Pierce, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to make false claims (18 U.S.C.§ 371).
This biofuel company produced and sold renewable fuel and fuel credits and claimed to turn various feedstocks into biodiesel. When reporting the number of gallons produced to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Gillham and his employer vastly overstated their production volume in an effort to generate more credits. When auditors sought more information from the company, Gillham and his co-conspirators gave them false information about their fuel production and customers.
The scheme generated more than $7 million in fraudulent EPA renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to the purported production of biodiesel.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
No. 2:24-CR-00161 (Central District of California)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors
ECS Trial Attorney Lauren Steele
AUSA Dennis Mitchell
ECS Law Clerk Maria Wallace
ECS Law Clerk Tonia Sibblies
On March 14, 2025, a court sentenced Sai Keung Tin, also known as Ricky Tin, to 30 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Tin will also pay a $5,000 fine for his role in smuggling protected turtles from the United States to Hong Kong. Tin pleaded guilty to four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law (18 U.S.C. § 554).
Between February 2018 and June 2023, Tin, a Chinese citizen, assisted turtle smugglers in the United States. During that time, Tin aided and abetted the trafficking of approximately 2,100 turtles to Hong Kong. The turtles were intended to be sold as part of the illegal Asian pet trade. Based on a conservative, contemporary market valuation of $2,000 per turtle, the smuggled reptiles were valued at $4.2 million.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agents arrested Tin in February 2024 as he arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
USFWS agents obtained a search warrant to seize Tin’s cell phones, and found evidence that Tin came to the United States to smuggle turtles. He planned to travel to New Jersey, Texas, and Washington — familiarizing himself with tourist locations to present a false story if apprehended. His ultimate plan was to pay for turtles in cash, ship them around the country, and eventually illegally export them to Hong Kong.
Tin was associated with international turtle smuggler Kang Juntao, of Hangzhou City, China, who was extradited from Malaysia in 2019 and later sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to money laundering. Kang caused the shipment of approximately 1,500 turtles (with a market value exceeding $2.25 million) from the United States to Hong Kong, which included shipments to Tin.
The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the common box turtle and native to the United States. Turtles with colorful markings are highly prized pets, particularly in China and Hong Kong, and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
On March 19, 2025, Hino Motors, Ltd. (HML) was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $521.76 million, serve a five-year term of probation, during which it will be prohibited from importing any diesel engines it has manufactured into the United States, and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program and reporting structure. Additionally, the court entered a $1.087 billion forfeiture money judgment against the company.
Prosecutors charged HML in a single conspiracy count with five objects: to defraud the Environmental Protection Agency, to defraud the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, to violate the Clean Air Act, to commit wire fraud, and to smuggle goods into the United States, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
Between 2010 and 2019, HML submitted and caused to be submitted false applications for engine certification approvals. Company engineers regularly altered emission test data, conducted tests improperly, and fabricated data without conducting any underlying tests. HML submitted fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data, which resulted in the calculation of false fuel consumption values for its engines. Company engineers also failed to disclose software functions that could adversely affect engines’ emission control systems. As a result of the fraud, HML imported and sold more than 105,000 non-conforming engines between 2010 and 2022.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Nos. 1:24-CR-00124, 1:21-CR-00016 (Northern District of New York)
AUSA Benjamin Clark
On March 20, 2025, a court sentenced Kyle Offringa to pay a $100,000 fine for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). His company, Highway and Heavy Parts, LLC (HHP), was sentenced on December 3, 2024, to pay a $25,000 fine. As part of the sentencing, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will monitor the company for ongoing compliance for a two-year period. HHP and Offringa pleaded guilty to conspiring to tamper with a required monitoring device in violation of the CAA (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Between June 2017 and March 2019, HHP and Offringa conspired with a diesel truck operator, and others, including co-conspirators Daim Logistics, Inc., and Patrick Oare, to remove, delete, and tamper with monitoring devices that were required under the CAA to be installed on heavy-duty diesel trucks. Truck operators delete the emissions control hardware on heavy-duty diesel trucks to allow them to run at higher horsepower, with greater fuel efficiency, and with reduced maintenance costs. HHP charged its customers a fee for Offringa to reprogram the vehicles’ on-board detection equipment so regulators would not discover the tampering. Customers paid HHP between $1,000 and $1,500 for each truck Offringa altered.
Oare and Daim Logistics were sentenced in November 2024 for tampering with a monitoring device or method in violation of the CAA (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)). Oare was sentenced to time served and to pay a $15,000 fine; the company will pay a $13,000 fine. In addition, prior to sentencing, the EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation monitored Daim for approximately 18 months to ensure the company complied with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding the emission control devices installed on diesel vehicles owned or operated by the company.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police.
Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
Bon Secours Mercy Health has resolved an issue impacting Local 85 Boilermakers’ health care providers participating in the Cigna network. As of April 1, 2025, Bon Secours Mercy Health providers will remain in network with Cigna as part of a multi-year agreement.
“We are grateful to the Boilermakers National Funds for their work monitoring the situation and addressing the issue,” said L-85 BM-ST Tim Timmons. “We’re glad this is resolved and that members can continue using their health care providers in network.”
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced today that Med-Surg Physician Group Inc. and its owner Oluyemisi Sangodeyi, M.D., have agreed to pay the United States $152,382.70 to resolve civil allegations that they violated the federal False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid and falsely certifying compliance with program requirements.
Med-Surg Physician Group, Inc. (Med-Surg) is a medical practice based in Beckley, West Virginia, providing both general internal medicine services as well as medication assisted treatment (MAT) for substance use disorder. Analysis of Med-Surg’s Medicare and Medicaid claims revealed an unusual billing pattern for Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) procedure code Q3014 (telehealth originating site facility fee). This billing code is intended to allow an enrolled facility where a patient is physically located to recoup costs associated with connecting the patient in the facility with an outside provider such as a specialist for telehealth services. Federal regulations specify that “only the originating site may bill for the originating site facility fee.”
After conducting patient interviews, investigators determined that Med-Surg was regularly billing procedure code Q3014 for telehealth visits where the patient was at home, in violation of federal law and regulations that specify that the facility fee is not payable where the patient’s originating site is their home. The policy manual for the West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services (BMS), the designated single state agency responsible for the administration of West Virginia’s Medicaid program, states plainly “the provider may not bill originating site code when the originating site is the home of the member.” In addition, a clarifying letter was issued by BMS Commissioner Cynthia Beane on March 16, 2020, specifying “there will be no reimbursement for the originating site of the members home (Q3014).”
Despite the clear requirements of the statutes, regulations, and policy guidance, between March 25, 2020, and January 27, 2021, Med-Surg routinely added the Q3014 billing code when submitting claims to Medicare and Medicaid for telehealth visits. During the relevant time period, Med-Surg received a total of $76,191.35 from Medicare and Medicaid as a result of this inappropriate billing.
“Dr. Sangodeyi and Med-Surg repeatedly billed for fees they knew they were not entitled to, at the expense of the American taxpayer,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The resolution of this matter is the result of the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the West Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Health Care Fraud Task Force. I also commend our office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement and Health Care Fraud Investigative Specialist, Tyler E. Japhet, for assisting the investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. Neil for securing the settlement announced today.”
“Accurately submitting claims for reimbursement from the Medicare and Medicaid Program is required of all health care providers,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “HHS-OIG and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to evaluate and pursue allegations of fraud in federal health care programs.”
“We are committed to ensuring money for Medicare and Medicaid is used for its intended purpose,” said West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey. “Many people rely on these programs and we, with our partners, will continue to work to protect taxpayer dollars.”
The United States Attorney’s Health Care Fraud Task Force brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from numerous agencies to coordinate intelligence sharing and prosecution of health care fraud impacting Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health care programs.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Union Government released Rs 4,906.32, 666.33 crore and 1,238.48 crore under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Jan Shikshan Sansthan scheme and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme respectively in the last five years (upto 2023-24)
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 6:19PM by PIB Delhi
Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centers under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme, National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready, equipped with industry relevant skills. The Schemes of MSDE are demand driven and the Training Centers are set up or engaged on need basis. Details of the State-wise Training Centers set up or engaged under the schemes of MSDE are at Annexure.
Funds under PMKVY and JSS scheme are released to implementing agencies for meeting the training cost as per prescribed norms. Funds are released under JSS scheme to Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) directly. Under NAPS, stipend support up to Rs 1500/- per month is released to apprentices through DBT. Day to day administration as well as financial control in respect of ITIs lies with the respective State government/UT Administration. Details of funds released for implementation of skill development schemes of MSDE during last five years up to 2023-24 are as under:
Scheme
Funds Released (Rs in Cr)
PMKVY
4906.32
JSS
666.33
NAPS
1238.48
To promote the digital skills, including advanced digital skills and artificial intelligence, MSDE has undertaken the following initiatives:
New training programs have been introduced under PMKVY 4.0 to enhance digital and technical skills among youth. PMKVY 4.0 has focus on new age skills like AI/ML, Web 3.0, etc. which are specially designed for upcoming market demand and industry requirements.
Under NAPS, there are approx 60 private establishments which are currently providing apprenticeship in seven (07) AI-related courses.
Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the aegis of MSDE has introduced 31 new age /future skills courses under Craftsmen Training Scheme in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) to provide digital training in emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Mechatronics, Internet of Things, Cybersecurity, Semiconductor, etc.
With a view to adopt the best practices in the digital skill training, DGT has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading IT tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft. These partnerships facilitate the provision of technical and professional skills training in modern technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics (BDA), Blockchain, Cloud Computing, etc.
Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MSDE has introduced one course ‘Artificial Intelligence Programming Assistant (AIPA)’ to impart AI-based skill training through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). Also, a micro-credential course “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)” of 7.5-hour has been developed for all CTS trainees in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), in collaboration with industry and academic experts.
MSDE has launched ‘Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH)’ platform, a comprehensive and accessible platform for skill enhancement, offering industry-relevant skill courses, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship support to youth of the country. SIDH offers an extensive array of AI and ML courses, ranging from foundational programs like ‘Fundamentals of Azure AI Speech’ and ‘Machine Learning’, to specialized offerings such as ‘Google Cloud Generative AI’ and ‘AI Strategy to Create Business Value in Healthcare’, to cater to varying levels of expertise and application, enabling participants to stay at the forefront of AI and ML technology.
National Skill Development Corporation under the aegis of MSDE has partnered with a number of international organizations such as AWS, Microsoft, Intel, Redhat, Pearson VUE, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Cisco Networking Academy for providing digital courses.
ANNEXURE
State-wise details of the Training Centres set up or engaged under schemes of MSDE
State/UT
PMKVY 4.0
Centres
JSS
Centers
NAPS
Establishments
CTS ( ITIs)
Govt. ITIs
Pvt. ITIs
Andaman and
Nicobar Islands
7
1
20
3
1
Andhra Pradesh
408
6
1,147
85
434
Arunachal Pradesh
86
0
25
7
0
Assam
833
6
941
31
16
Bihar
596
21
548
150
1,219
Chandigarh
9
1
166
2
0
Chhattisgarh
202
14
324
120
106
Delhi
222
3
3,013
18
28
DNH & DD
9
2
130
4
0
Goa
8
1
495
11
2
Gujarat
377
8
12,458
273
215
Haryana
629
2
5,872
159
222
Himachal Pradesh
210
11
740
128
139
Jammu And Kashmir
694
1
554
49
0
Jharkhand
246
13
442
77
269
Karnataka
457
12
2,452
274
1,192
Kerala
145
9
1,904
149
297
Ladakh
12
0
16
3
0
Lakshadweep
1
1
1
1
0
Madhya Pradesh
1,527
29
1,126
195
767
Maharashtra
684
21
9,086
422
615
Manipur
164
4
23
10
0
Meghalaya
99
1
41
7
1
Mizoram
102
1
20
3
0
Nagaland
91
1
22
9
0
Odisha
307
29
738
73
427
Puducherry
23
0
245
8
7
Punjab
617
2
933
115
205
Rajasthan
1,613
9
984
182
1,363
Sikkim
37
0
69
4
0
Tamil Nadu
581
9
2,892
93
363
Telangana
157
6
1,314
66
232
Tripura
151
2
98
20
2
Uttar Pradesh
2,965
47
6,395
294
2,964
Uttarakhand
231
8
738
103
71
West Bengal
344
8
1,352
168
139
Overall
14,844
289
49,788
3,316
11,296
This information was given by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Jayant Chaudhry, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on April 02, 2025.
Fiscal Health Index 2025 Mapping India’s State-Level Economic Resilience
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 5:42PM by PIB Delhi
Introduction
The Fiscal Health Index (FHI) initiative by NITI Aayog aims to evolve an understanding of the fiscal health of states in India. The FHI analysis covers eighteen major states that drive the Indian economy in terms of their contribution to India’s GDP, demography, total public expenditure, revenues, and overall fiscal stability. Odisha leads the Index, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand and Gujarat. As states are responsible for approximately two-thirds of public spending and one-third of total revenue, their fiscal performance is important for the country’s overall economic stability. The report objectively evaluates each state’s fiscal health through a composite index, facilitating comparisons and benchmarking against best practices. The composite Fiscal Health Index has been developed using data from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), covering the Financial Year 2022-23.
Objectives of the Fiscal Health Index
To provide a comparative analysis of fiscal health across Indian states through standardized metrics.
To identify areas of strength and concern in states’ fiscal management practices.
To promote transparency, accountability, and prudent fiscal management through empirical assessment.
To assist policymakers in making informed decisions aimed at enhancing fiscal sustainability and resilience.
Key Indicators Evaluated
The Fiscal Health Index 2025 is based on a comprehensive set of indicators that are grouped into five broad categories:
Tax Buoyancy
Tax buoyancy is a ratio of change in tax revenue in relation to change in gross state domestic product or GSDP of a state. It measures how responsive a taxation policy is to growth in economic activities.
Revenue Generation and Mobilization: Assessment of states’ own revenue receipts, tax buoyancy, and non-tax revenue generation.
Debt-to-GSDP
The debt-to-GDP ratio is a metric that compares a state’s total public debt to its gross state domestic product (GSDP), indicating its ability to repay its debts, and is often expressed as a percentage.
Expenditure Management and Prioritization: Evaluation of efficiency in expenditure allocation, prioritization of capital expenditure, and adherence to fiscal discipline.
Debt Management: Analysis of states’ debt-to-GSDP ratios, interest payment burdens, and overall sustainability of debt portfolios.
Fiscal Deficit Management: Measurement of states’ fiscal deficit as a percentage of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and adherence to statutory limits.
Overall Fiscal Sustainability: Composite analysis of revenue, expenditure, deficit, and debt indicators to gauge long-term fiscal health.
Key Findings
Odisha leads the fiscal health index with a top score of 67.8, excelling in the Debt Index (99.0) and Debt Sustainability (64.0). It maintains low fiscal deficits, a strong debt profile, and a high Capital Outlay/GSDP ratio. Chhattisgarh (55.2)and Goa (53.6) follow, excelling in Debt Index and Revenue Mobilization, respectively. Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, and Chhattisgarh excel in non-tax revenue mobilization, averaging 21% of Total Revenue, with Odisha benefiting from mining premiums and Chhattisgarh from coal block auctions. Conversely, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala face significant fiscal challenges, including low expenditure quality, poor debt sustainability, and high fiscal deficits. States like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh allocate around 27% of their Developmental Expenditure to Capital Expenditure, while West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan allocate only about 10%. While top states excel in Debt Index and Sustainability, West Bengal and Punjab struggle with rising debt-to-GSDP ratios, raising concerns about debt sustainability.
Sustainability of Debt Portfolios
Sustainability of debt portfolios refers to state’s ability to meet its current and future debt obligations without defaulting or requiring exceptional financial assistance, focusing on both solvency and liquidity.
Top Performers: Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Goa excel in Debt Index, Debt Sustainability, and Revenue Mobilization.
Revenue Mobilization: Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, and Chhattisgarh effectively mobilize non-tax revenue (average 21% of Total Revenue).
Debt Index
The ratio of Interest Payments to Revenue Receipts (IP/RR) indicating the percentage of Revenue Receipts used for interest payment on account of outstanding debt.
Aspirational States: Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala face fiscal challenges like poor debt sustainability and high deficits.
Capital Expenditure: High allocation (27%) by Odisha, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh; Low allocation (10%) by West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan.
Debt Concerns: West Bengal and Punjab face growing debt burdens and increasing debt-to-GSDP ratios.
Conclusion
The Fiscal Health Index 2025 offers a valuable tool for assessing the fiscal performance of Indian states. It highlights the need for continuous monitoring, prudent fiscal management, and proactive measures to enhance states’ financial health. The Index underscores the importance of revenue generation, efficient expenditure management, debt control, and adherence to fiscal deficit targets for overall fiscal sustainability. The FHI report has been shared with all States/UTs to help them evaluate their fiscal performance across key indicators. States are encouraged to adopt sustainable fiscal practices suited to their economies and work towards fiscal prudence through appropriate state-level interventions
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ14: Prevention and treatment of hepatitis Question:
It is learnt that hepatitis is one of the common diseases in Hong Kong, and it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people in Hong Kong are affected by hepatitis. Hepatitis may further develop into cirrhosis of the liver or even liver cancer if it is not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, which will bring about a serious impact on the health and finances of patients and their families, and place a burden on the public healthcare system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) in respect of education on the prevention of hepatitis, whether the Government has organised preventive educational programmes to promote the importance of keeping the liver healthy in schools and in the community in 2024; if so, of the relevant expenditure, the number of programmes organised, as well as the respective numbers of students or members of the community who have participated in such programmes; whether it will increase the relevant estimated expenditure for this year; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) in view of the Government’s commitment in the 2024 Policy Address to implement hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer, whether the Government has formulated the relevant implementation plan; if it has, of the budget and target number of people to be screened; whether it will accord priority to screening for high-risk persons, and introduce primary healthcare networks and the public-private partnership approach to expand the screening capacity, e.g. carrying out blood monitoring for liver cancer in high-risk groups; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) whether it knows the respective numbers of new cases of liver cirrhosis diagnosed by the Hospital Authority (HA) and patients with liver cirrhosis who continued to receive treatment in public hospitals under HA in each of the past five years;
(4) whether it knows the respective numbers of cases of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer among the oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy services provided in public hospitals in each of the past five years; whether the relevant data reflects the incidence trends of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer in Hong Kong; whether the Government has adjusted its prevention strategies on the basis of such data; and
(5) in order to provide more treatment options for patients and effectively relieve the pressure on public hospitals, whether the Government will consider using the public-private partnership approach or expanding the scope of the “Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme” to arrange, under the risk-based principle, for low-risk patients to receive treatment at healthcare institutions in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can be classified into acute or chronic disease. Serious hepatitis cases will lead to liver failure, cirrhosis or liver cancer Hepatitis is the most commonly caused by the hepatitis virus infection worldwide. In Hong Kong, the major risk factor leading to liver diseases including liver cancer is chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. The Government is strongly committed to the prevention and treatment of hepatitis and liver cancer. Among which, in 2018, the Government established the Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis (SCVH) to provide advice on overall policy, targeted strategies and effective resource allocation related to prevention and control of viral hepatitis. In October 2020, the SCVH formulated the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2020 – 2024 and all the new initiatives outlined in the plan have been fully implemented.
The Government has been adopting a series of effective and free-of-charge measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) which may lead to CHB, including:
(i) universal neonatal hepatitis B vaccination since 1988; (ii) universal antenatal screening for hepatitis B; (iii) administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin for babies born to mothers with hepatitis B; (iv) using antivirals to further minimise the risk of MTCT of HBV among pregnant women with CHB and high viral load since August 2020 under the steer of the SCVH; and (v) post-vaccination serologic testing arranged for babies born to mothers with hepatitis B since January 2022. The reply, in consultation with the DH, the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) and the Hospital Authority (HA) to the question raised by the Hon Joephy Chan is as follows:
(1) Viral Hepatitis Control Office (VHCO) of the DH co-ordinates the actions and programmes related to prevention and control of viral hepatitis, including health education, and surveillance and prevention of viral hepatitis, and provides secretariat support to the SCVH. The VHCO has been providing health education related to viral hepatitis for the public through various channels, including social media, health talks and themed exhibitions. The VHCO also collaborates with community partners to launch promotion activities.
Currently, the Maternal and Child Health Centres under the DH provide hepatitis B vaccination services for infants and young children from birth to five years old. For those primary school children who have not completed the hepatitis B vaccination, the School Immunisation Team under the Centre for Health Protection of the DH provides mop-up vaccination services to ensure that local school children are protected by the hepatitis B vaccine. The current vaccination rate for school children is 99 per cent while the prevalence of HBV infection among those under 35 years old is below 1 per cent. Hence, the health promotion efforts of the VHCO focus on reminding adults at higher risk of infection in the community to undergo early testing and treatment for hepatitis B, including those who have not been benefited from vaccination.
In 2024, the VHCO conducted nine public health talks and 11 themed exhibitions, reaching over 7 000 attendances. Over 33 000 health education materials were distributed to community health promotion partners, healthcare institutions and the general public. The related expenditure cannot be separately identified given that they have been subsumed into the viral hepatitis control programmes provided by the DH.
The Government will closely keep in view local and international situation of hepatitis B, promulgate the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2025 – 2030 this year, and continue to enhance health promotion and educational activities.
Meanwhile, District Health Centres and District Health Centres Expresses (collectively referred to as DHCs) in all 18 districts across the city are promoting the Life Course Preventive Care Plan along with family doctors to enhance citizens’ self-management ability. Family doctors and primary healthcare professionals will provide vaccination information and education (such as Hepatitis B vaccine), guidance on healthy lifestyles, as well as recommendations and services for chronic disease and cancer screening, according to personal factors like age, sex and family history. DHCs also organise talks on liver health, providing the public with related education and information.
(2) The DH has been enhancing the focused risk-based testing service for viral hepatitis for people at a higher risk of HBV infection in its Services in recent years. With effect from April 2022, all men who have sex with men and sex workers attending Social Hygiene Clinics of the DH are offered with HBV screening as part of the comprehensive screening for sexually transmitted infections. With effect from July 2023, the DH has launched risk-based viral hepatitis screening services at its Elderly Health Service, Woman Health Service, Families Clinics and methadone clinics.
As announced in the 2024 Policy Address, the Government will roll out a new programme to subsidise hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer. The PHC Commission will provide hepatitis B screening and continued management to groups with higher risk via DHCs and family doctors through strategic purchasing and co-payment model. The programme enables early detection of people infected with HBV in the community and early identification and treatment of CHB to reduce the risk of complications (such as cirrhosis and liver cancer). The PHC Commission will announce the programme details within 2025.
(3) The number of in-patient and day-in-patient discharges and deaths with the principal diagnosis of chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis at various hospitals under the HA in the past five years is set out as follows:
Yeardischarges and deaths with the principal diagnosis of chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis(Provisional figures) (4) Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (commonly known as gastroscopy) is not a mandatory examination for the diagnosis, assessment, or treatment of liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. The HA provides appropriate examination and necessary treatment to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer patients based on clinical needs. The HA does not maintain statistics on the number of cases diagnosed with liver cancer or liver cirrhosis among those undergoing gastroscopy. The relevant data is not related to the trends of liver disease incidence in Hong Kong.
According to data from the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, there were 1 612 new cases of liver cancer in 2022, accounting for 4.6 per cent of all new cancer cases in Hong Kong. Liver cancer ranks as the fifth most common types of cancer and is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in Hong Kong. Based on the crude incidence rate, there are 22 new cases per 100 000 population in Hong Kong. Males are more susceptible to liver cancer than females, with a male-to-female incidence ratio of 2.7 to 1 in 2022. Compared with ten years ago, the number of new cases of liver cancer has dropped by about 10 per cent.
The number of liver cancer cases diagnosed each year and its percentage in the total number of new cancer cases from 2012 to 2022 are set out below:
Year On prevention and control strategies, key measures of the Government include:
(i) continuing to closely monitor the hepatitis situation locally and internationally; (ii) formulating the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2025-2030 within 2025; (iii) preparing for the launch of a pilot programme for hepatitis B in the community in a risk-based approach by the PHC Commission with reference to the screening strategy recommended by the SCVH; and (iv) apart from the three clusters currently piloting the collaborative service model for the management of hepatitis B, the HA will continue to pilot the service model concerned in the Medicine Specialist Out-patient Clinics and Family Medicine Specialist Clinics of other clusters, as well as collaborate with the DH and the PHC Commission to promote hepatitis B management to family doctors. Through the above measures, it is expected that the overall management capability for hepatitis B and service volume in Hong Kong will be further enhanced, thereby reducing the transmission of hepatitis B and its associated disease burden.
In addition, the Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening (CEWG), established under the Cancer Coordinating Committee chaired by the Secretary for Health, regularly reviews local and international scientific evidence with a view to making recommendations to the Government on formulating evidence-based measures for cancer prevention and screening programmes applicable to the local population. Currently, the CEWG does not recommend routine liver cancer screening for asymptomatic individuals at average risk.
Primary prevention (i.e. reducing exposure to cancer risk factors) is the most important strategy for reducing the risk of developing cancer. The DH has long been encouraging citizens to adopt healthy lifestyles, including avoidance of smoking and alcohol, healthy diet, regular physical activities and maintenance of a healthy body weight and waist circumference to reduce the risks of non-communicable diseases including cancer.
(5) In terms of primary healthcare, the Government is establishing a “Family Doctor for All” system and a multidisciplinary public-private partnership model with DHCs as the hub through the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Pilot Scheme) to subsidise citizens in the diagnosis and management of chronic diseases in the private medical sector. As mentioned above, the Government is planning to implement a subsidised hepatitis B screening programme through family doctors and DHCs using the same multidisciplinary public-private partnership model to encourage citizens to understand their health status through early screening to achieve the goals of “early prevention, early detection, and early treatment”. The DH will also continue to strengthen the Government’s different vaccination programmes, such as exploring the best use of public-private partnership arrangement where appropriate.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been following the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits to enhance the cooperation with various cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), on the premise that the development of Hong Kong and the Mainland’s healthcare system will be benefited. This is to promote the medical professional standard in the region in general and provide convenience for Hong Kong citizens travelling to and from the Mainland in terms of choices of medical services. Among which, in collaboration with designated collaborating healthcare institutions in the Mainland cities of the GBA, the Government gradually launched the Pilot Scheme for Supporting Patients of the Hospital Authority in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme, the Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-boundary Ambulance Transfer in Greater Bay Area, as well as the new functions under the five-year plan of eHealth+, which enables citizens to keep and use their personal medical records from within and outside Hong Kong across the boundary.
As a member of the GBA, the HKSAR Government, in formulating cross-boundary healthcare measures, will not only focus on meeting the needs of Hong Kong citizens, but will also consider the potential impact of the policies on the social resources and livelihood of citizens on the Mainland. The healthcare resources and needs, relevant laws and regulations, as well as regulatory regimes for healthcare professions are different in Hong Kong and the Mainland. Upholding the important role of protecting the health of Hong Kong citizens, the HKSAR Government will continue to provide quality healthcare services to Hong Kong citizens, including the above-mentioned strategies and work in the prevention and treatment on hepatitis B. The Government will also explore cross-boundary healthcare measures under the premise that these measures are feasible and mutually beneficial. Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government is exploring the strategic purchase of healthcare services for Hong Kong citizens from suitable healthcare institutions in the GBA to alleviate the pressure on service demand of our public hospital services and shorten the waiting time of Hong Kong residents. Issued at HKT 19:58
The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development will discuss the Commission Work Programme with Commissioners Christophe Hansen, responsible for Agriculture and Food, and Olivér Várhelyi, responsible for Health and Animal Welfare, on 8 April. The exchanges are organised to discuss the state of implementation of the current Commission Work Programme (CWP) as well as the priorities to be reflected in the CWP for the next year.
On 9 April, SANT Committee Members will hold an exchange of views with Dr Gauden Galea, Strategic Adviser to the WHO Regional Director, on the High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable Diseases (HLM4).
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Don Davis (NC-01) and U.S. Representative August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced the bipartisan H.R. 2542, theOld Drugs, New Cures Act,legislation to improve access to innovative, affordable medication and tackle health disparities in rural and low-income communities across America.
“To ensure every patient, no matter their income, no matter where they live, has access to the best treatments possible, Congress must pass legislation to encourage the development of new, affordable drugs,” said Congressman Don Davis. “Eastern North Carolina communities face the greatest health care disparities of any region in the state. Without an incentive for innovation, patients will not have access to affordable, quality health care.”
Current Medicaid regulations inhibit the research of certain conditions that disproportionately affect rural and low-income communities, like sickle cell disease or other chronic illnesses. TheOld Drugs, New Cures Actwould carve out an exemption for “priority research” drugs in existing law, allowing for a smoother path from drug development to patient access. To ensure equal access to lifesaving cures, a drug designated as a “priority research drug,” would be excluded from the definition of a “line extension,” therefore making it more accessible to all patients and encouraging innovation at the same time.
“The federal government should be fostering medical innovation, not standing in its way,” said Congressman August Pfluger. “Unfortunately, current HHS regulations create unnecessary barriers to researching new applications for existing medications, preventing potentially life-changing treatments from reaching the patients who need them most. I’m proud to join Congressman Don Davis once again in introducing the Old Drugs, New Cures Act, which will clear these obstacles and create a smoother pathway for breakthrough treatments to reach the market, particularly for conditions that disproportionately affect rural and underserved communities.”
“As a global diversified pharmaceutical company enriching lives through a relentless drive to deliver better health outcomes, new legislation allowing manufacturers the ability to study and bring forward new treatments based on existing FDA-approved products just makes sense for patients,” said Jeff Hartness, Executive Vice President, Market Access, Commercial Operations, Neurology, Generics and Government Affairs. “We believe the introduction of the Old Drugs New Cures Act legislation has the potential to positively impact patient lives in a way that otherwise will not be feasible.”
“Here at Bausch Health, we are focused on our core R&D platforms, but we are also continuously looking across our existing portfolio to identify underserved, unmet diseases and therapeutic areas,” said Dr. Tage Ramakrishna, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, President, R&D at Bausch Health. As knowledge of disease states and pharmaceutical products increase, manufacturers like Bausch Health need the ability to study all molecules, new and old, for future medical breakthroughs.”
“Reformulating existing drugs is an opportunity for innovation to address unmet needs in an efficient and timely manner,” said Donna R. Cryer, JD, founder and CEO of Global Liver Institute. “New uses for existing drugs have long been supported by the rare disease community, for whom treatment options are highly limited. This bill presents an opportunity to advance health equity by driving innovation to Medicaid-eligible patients who experience high unmet medical needs.”
“GLI strongly supports innovation that addresses unmet needs in an efficient and timely manner,” said Larry Holden, CEO of Global Liver Institute.“Only about 5% of rare disease patients have a treatment approved by the FDA, making any policy to incentivize new uses for existing drugs especially valuable for vulnerable populations, particularly patients whose care is largely provided by Medicaid.”
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) have introduced legislation to eliminate food deserts and expand access to affordable and nutritious food by incentivizing food providers to expand access to healthy food options in underserved communities. The Healthy Food Access for All Americans (HFAAA) Act was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Emilia Sykes (OH-13) and Jennifer McLellan (VA-04).
“Fresh and nutritious foods are a cornerstone of health and wellbeing, but too many families in Virginia and across America live in places where these foods are out of reach,” said Sen. Warner. “This legislation will help us fight food deserts by incentivizing grocery stores to come to communities that have the hardest time accessing fresh produce.”
“Even while living in the breadbasket of our nation, food insecurity affects far too many Kansans, particularly those living in rural communities far from a grocery store,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation, which would incentivize food providers to establish and renovate grocery stores, food banks and farmers markets in communities that traditionally lack affordable, healthy and convenient food options, would help provide those who are hungry with access to nutritious food.”
“Many West Virginians struggle to access fresh, nutritious food to keep their families and communities well fed. I’m proud to reintroduce the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act, which will expand access to healthy foods through food banks and local grocery stores in rural communities across West Virginia and the nation,” said Sen. Capito.
“Access to nutritious food is essential for every family’s health and well-being, but it remains out of reach for far too many communities. This bipartisan legislation offers a key solution to eliminating food deserts in Maryland and across the country – ensuring every American can buy fresh, affordable, healthy food in their neighborhood, regardless of where they live,” said Sen. Van Hollen.
According to recent data, an estimated 18.8 million Americans live in what the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies as a “food desert.” Urban areas designated as food deserts lack a grocery store within one or more miles. Rural areas designated as food deserts lack a grocery store within ten or more miles. Studies have shown that Americans who live in communities with low-access to healthy food options are at higher risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Specifically, the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act – which defines a grocery market as a retail sales store with at least 35 percent of its selection (or forecasted selection) dedicated to selling fresh produce, poultry, dairy, and deli items – would encourage investment in food deserts across the country that have a poverty rate of 20 percent or higher, or a median family income of less than 80 percent of the median for the state or metro area.
It would grant tax credits or grants to food providers who service low-access communities and attain a “Special Access Food Provider” (SAFP) certification through the Treasury Department. Incentives would be awarded based on the following structure:
New Store Construction – Companies that construct new grocery stores in a food desert will receive a one-time 15 percent tax credit after receiving certification.
Retrofitting Existing Structures – Companies that make retrofits to an existing store’s healthy food sections can receive a one-time 10 percent tax credit after the repairs certify the store as an SAFP.
Food Banks – Certified food banks that build new (permanent) structures in food deserts will be eligible to receive a one-time grant for 15 percent of their construction costs.
Temporary Access Merchants – Certified temporary access merchants (i.e. mobile markets, farmers markets, and some food banks) that are 501(c)(3)s will receive grants for 10 percent of their annual operating costs.
The Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act boasts the support of numerous organizations, including Feeding America, the National Grocers Association, and Share Our Strength.
“Feeding America commends Senator Warner for confronting the unfortunate fact that for the 47 million Americans living with hunger, access to affordable nutritious food is significantly harder for those who live in food deserts. The Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks understands that areas without affordable, healthy food options have higher rates of food insecurity. Rural communities in particular lack access to adequate transportation to the nearest grocery store or food pantry. Feeding America supports the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act as a critical step to give nonprofits and retailers support to increase food access in underserved areas,” said Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer at Feeding America.
“The National Grocers Association applauds Senator Warner and Representatives McClellan and Sykes for their leadership on this important legislation focused on eliminating the challenges confronting grocers seeking to expand access to nutritious food in underserved rural and urban areas alike. Independent grocers are the backbone of the communities they serve and have a long-standing tradition of leading efforts to provide improved food options for those most in need. Enhanced access to healthy food bolsters both the physical well-being and economic vitality of local communities everywhere, and we look forward to working with Congress to pass this important bipartisan legislation,” said Stephanie Johnson, Vice President, Government Relations, National Grocers Association.
“To end childhood hunger in America, we must ensure that low-income families have access to healthy, affordable food options no matter their zip code or circumstances. Ending food deserts will help more families put food on the table and help children get the nutrition they need to grow up healthy and strong. Share Our Strength supports The Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act and thanks Sens. Warner, Capito, Van Hollen, and Moran for their leadership on this issue,” said Jason Gromley, Senior Director of Share Our Strength.
Bill text for the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act can be found here. A summary of the bill can be found here.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) confirmed Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) numerous concerns about abuse in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) unaccompanied alien children (UAC) program. Under the Biden-Harris administration, more than 500,000 children crossed the Southern border and entered the UAC program, while cartel trafficking activity surged.
Grassley repeatedly warned that the Biden-Harris UAC program’s inadequate safeguards, lax vetting procedures and limited inter-agency communication allowed children to be lost or released to dangerous adult sponsors. DHS OIG’s report validated all of Grassley’s findings. Notably, the report exposed how DHS was prevented from receiving key HHS information to follow up on potential criminal sponsors. Grassley broke through this inter-agency firewall last year by submitting a law enforcement referral to DHS containing HHS information provided to Grassley by legally protected whistleblowers. DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations followed up on 102 investigative targets Grassley identified.
“My oversight revealed the Biden-Harris administration prioritized speed and optics over the safety and security of hundreds-of-thousands of migrant children. DHS OIG’s report echoes my longstanding concerns and further fuels the fire of my investigative and legislative work. I’ll continue fighting to ensure abuse like this never happens again,” Grassley said.
The DHS OIG report found that:
HHS and DHS lost track of hundreds of thousands of migrant children.
HHS failed to provide DHS complete sponsor addresses for over 31,000 unaccompanied migrant children. Without sponsor addresses, law enforcement is unable to keep track of migrant children.
DHS law enforcement officers additionally estimated that addresses collected by HHS were incorrect 80 percent of the time.
DHS officers failed to enroll over 233,000 migrant children who crossed the border since January 2021 in immigration proceedings, increasing their risk of trafficking and exploitation.
Of those enrolled, more than 43,000 children failed to appear.
HHS failed to provide updated sponsor information to DHS when sponsors changed addresses, further hindering DHS’s ability to find children.
HHS placed migrant children with potentially dangerous sponsors.
In Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024, HHS released more than 24,100 migrant children to unrelated sponsors or distant relatives. Law enforcement officers note these children are at the highest risk for trafficking.
HHS frequently placed migrant children in rundown apartment complexes and dilapidated motels with barred windows, appliances stacked on patios and apartments with no doors or kitchens.
Local police noted many of these properties were located in areas with high violent crime rates, daily shootings and gang activity.
Multiple DHS offices confirmed HHS released children to incomplete or commercial addresses, and ICE officials at one field office noted the Biden HHS released 34 children to two addresses that didn’t exist.
The Biden-Harris administration limited HHS employees’ communication with law enforcement.
HHS failed to provide DHS law enforcement officers with accurate or timely information regarding the status and safety of migrant children.
A 2021 Biden-Harris inter-agency agreement restricted HHS from sharing sponsors’ biometric information with law enforcement officers.
DHS law enforcement noted this restrictive agreement prevents law enforcement from having input regarding children’s sponsors.
DHS law enforcement officers stated they were open to sharing information with HHS, but HHS did not share information with them. One officer noted, “Getting information from HHS is like pulling teeth.”
According to these officers, the Biden-Harris HHS feared that sharing sponsor information could lead to law enforcement actions against sponsors, especially those with criminal history or lacking legal immigration status.
The vast majority of migrant children discussed in the report date to the Biden-Harris administration, according to a related DHS OIG report released in August.
Read the full DHS OIG report HERE.
Grassley discussed the report in a speech on the Senate floor.
Background:Grassley has led efforts to protect unaccompanied migrant children from exploitation and abuse for more than a decade. See an overview of his work below:
03.11.2025 | Grassley Reignites Oversight of HHS’s Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program
01.14.2025 | Grassley, Blackburn Introduce Legislation to Halt Child Trafficking at the Border
10.18.2024 | Biden-Harris HHS Can’t Account to Congress for Status of Thousands of Unaccompanied Minors
10.16.2024 | ICYMI: Grassley Recognized for Work to Combat Sex-Trafficking Crisis: ‘The Only Person in a Position of Power Who Cares’
09.23.2024 | Grassley Leads Bicameral Colleagues in Calling Out Abuses in the Biden-Harris Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program
09.18.2024 | Democrats Block Grassley Effort to Protect Unaccompanied Migrant Children from Sexual Harm
09.17.2024 | Grassley: Not One More Child Should Have to Suffer Abuse Because of Biden-Harris Policies
09.04.2024 | Grassley Puts HHS Vetting, Information-Sharing under Microscope amid Biden-Harris Admin’s Neglect to Protect Migrant Children
07.11.2024 | RECORDS: HHS Sent Unaccompanied Minors to Sponsors with MS-13 Ties, Potential Trafficking Rings
07.09.2024 | Grassley Highlights Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Children During Senate Roundtable
07.09.2024 | Grassley Delivers Opening Remarks At Roundtable On Abuse Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
07.08.2024 | ICYMI: WSJ Reveals Alarming ‘Dilemma’ At The Heart Of Biden’s Unaccompanied Minors Program
06.12.2024 | Grassley Discusses Effort To End Biden Admin’s Abuse Of Unaccompanied Minors Program
06.05.2024 | Grassley Moves To Overturn Biden Admin Rule Enabling Abuse Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
04.30.2024 | Grassley Scrutinizes HHS’s Improper Care Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
03.14.2024 | Grassley Goes Head-To-Head With HHS Secretary On Immigration And Rural Health Care
01.24.2024 | Grassley Alerts DHS, FBI To Evidence Of Human Trafficking; Calls For Immediate Action To Locate & Rescue Migrant Children
12.04.2023 | Grassley And Senate Republicans Demand Changes To Biden Admin Rule Endangering Safety And Wellbeing Of Unaccompanied Alien Children
10.28.2021 | Grassley, Wyden Release Investigation On Misconduct And Abuse At Federally-Funded Facilities Caring For Unaccompanied Migrant Children
05.09.2019 | Grassley, Wyden Demand Answers On Misconduct And Abuse At Federally-Funded Facilities Caring For Unaccompanied Migrant Children
03.14.2016 | Feds Skip Child Abuse Checks For Some Sponsors Of Child Immigrants As Surge Continues
02.23.2016 | The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop the Border Surge and Adequately Monitor the Children
02.22.2016 | Feds Fall Short In Care, Tracking Of Unaccompanied Children
02.19.2016 | Grassley, Cornyn Continue To Press Administration On Vetting Of Sponsors For Unaccompanied Minors
11.24.2015 | Obama Administration Allegedly Releasing Unaccompanied Minors Into Criminals’ Custody
10.10.2014 | Grassley, Hatch, Coburn Press For GAO Study On The Office Of Refugee Resettlement Efforts With Unaccompanied Minors
08.22.2014 | Grassley: Unanswered Questions Plague HHS Response To Unaccompanied Minors
07.17.2014 | Grassley Presses For Answers On Housing For Unaccompanied Minors Crossing Southern Border
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Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Autism Acceptance Month.
The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:
PROCLAMATION
This month, California joins communities around the world in recognizing April as Autism Acceptance Month. We celebrate the many ways autistic individuals add to the diversity and strength of our state, while raising awareness of the challenges faced by children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum in living to their full potential.
In California, one in 22 children have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Our state’s 21 regional centers provide community-based developmental services and supports to over 194,000 autistic individuals. We are proud to honor the many individuals with autism enriching our communities with their perspectives, talents, and achievements.
This year, California’s Health and Human Services Agency released its Master Plan for Developmental Services, outlining recommendations that will impact the rapidly increasing regional center caseload of individuals with a diagnosis of autism. The Master Plan is shaped by the community itself, expressing a vision for how California supports people with disabilities like autism into the future, and recognizing the connections between the developmental disabilities services system to other employment, health, and social services systems. This vision will inform existing and future efforts to enhance state services in the days and years ahead, and reflects the state’s commitment to supporting, empowering, and celebrating people on the autism spectrum.
This Autism Acceptance Month, we share our deep appreciation of individuals, families, and many others who are dedicated to uplifting the experiences of autistic people. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting and including individuals with autism in our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Together, we will continue to build communities where everyone belongs.
NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim April 2025, as “Autism Acceptance Month.”
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 1st day of April 2025.
GAVIN NEWSOM Governor of California
ATTEST: SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D. Secretary of State
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This year’s World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) observance, titled Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN SDGs, focuses on the intersection of autism and sustainable development. Through keynote speeches, panel discussions, advocacy highlights, and a fireside chat, the event explores how embracing neurodiversity contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Each session highlights key areas of inclusion — from healthcare and education to employment, urban development, and governance — while centering autistic voices and experiences. The observance champions a world where autistic individuals are recognized as vital contributors to society and are fully included and supported in all aspects of life.
These discussions aim to inspire concrete action and global collaboration in support of a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for all.
More information: https://www.un.org/en/observances/autism-day